What Liverpool fans noticed straight away about Virgil van Dijk vs Everton

After making a £75 million move, there is always going to be plenty of attention on your debut.

But imagine making your debut after a £75 million move in a massive local derby in the FA Cup.

Well, that’s the exact scenario that faced Virgil van Dijk.

After swapping Southampton for Liverpool in a record transfer for a defender, Jurgen Klopp didn’t hesitate in throwing him into the mix by handing him a start against Everton.

Liverpool fans would have been watching him closely as he made his long-awaited debut after his move to Anfield fell through in the summer.

And they noticed something immediately.

Having not had too much time to train with the squad, there was every chance the Dutchman might take a little time to adapt to the pace of the match.

But that didn’t stop him from ordering around his teammates.

The centre-back showed his leadership skills from the very first whistle, despite only being at the club a few days.

LIVERPOOL FANS REACT
And this is the reaction from Liverpool fans - who were loving it:

He’s already a fan favourite, it seems.

Earlier this week, Klopp suggested that he might wait to give Van Dijk his first appearance but, in the end, decided to pair him with Joel Matip.

KLOPP ON VAN DIJK
And ahead of the game, the German boss explained his decision.

"Raggy (Ragnar Klavan) and Dejan (Lovren) played a lot last few weeks andIi thought long about it," Klopp admitted.

"Virgil is fresh but is not 100 per cent - but there is really no pressure.

"It’s his first time in a Red shirt and he’s really looking forward to it of course.”

(source from givemesport)