Virgil van Dijk believes Jarell Quansah Liverpool interview after Joel Matip injury was ill-timed
Virgil van Dijk believes Jarell Quansah's blunt assessment of Joel Matip's season-ending Liverpool injury was "too soon"
Virgil van Dijk believes Jarell Quansah's blunt assessment of Joel Matip's season-ending injury was ill-timed earlier this month.
The young defender was asked about the potential for more opportunities in the Liverpool first team as a result of Matip's ACL rupture he picked up in the 4-3 victory over Fulham on December 3.
Speaking after he scored his first senior goal in Liverpool's 2-1 defeat to Union Saint-Gilloise in a Europa League dead-rubber on December 14, Quansah gave a surprise reaction by outlining his ambition to leapfrog the long-serving even before his colleague had sustained the long-term setback.
"At the start of the season when I’ve stayed and not gone on-loan I thought I want to play in these games," Quansah told LFCTV at the time. "So obviously, it’s a shame what happened to Joel (Matip) and my condolences go to him. But my idea was to try and get over him anyway and try and be a starting centre-back in the Premier League."
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Liverpool skipper Van Dijk says believes the interview was given "too soon" considering the seriousness of Matip's issue and the fact he was yet to even undergo surgery on the problem at the time, although the captain put the miscommunication down to Qunasah's inexperience.
"I think it came across a little bit not in the right way," Van Dijk said. "It's good that he thinks like this in my opinion. But it was maybe too soon (after Matip's injury) for him to say it in the way it came across. I don't think he meant it in that way.
"When I was 20 I'd also maybe say certain things that come across differently. I totally understand where he's coming from. But we shouldn't forget what Joel has done for this club and the contribution to the success we've had."
Van Dijk has been impressed with the 20-year-old Quansah, who made his third Premier League start of the season in the 2-0 win over Burnley on Boxing Day.
Quansah has featured 14 times across all competitions this term and Reds skipper Van Dijk has challenged his younger team-mate to maintain his consistency for the rest of the term.
Van Dijk added: "Jarell is doing great and making big steps. He has to keep improving. So far, so good. Jarell has dealt outstandingly well with every challenge that's come his way so far.
"He's only 20 years old, he's still growing. As a centre-half, you get better with experience. I was never this far [along], doing it consistently - like Ibou (Ibrahima Konate) and Jarell - when I was that young. Jarell is learning and doing well. I'm enjoying playing and working with these guys.
"He just has to keep going. There will be times when it's tough, that's absolutely normal, but it's about how you deal with that. He's a good boy. Mentally, he's in the right frame of mind and that's a good start. I'll be there for him, whenever he needs. He'll be just fine."