Virgil van Dijk sends clear 'no excuses' message to Liverpool fans with honest admission

Virgil van Dijk says Liverpool fans should have optimism ahead of 2026 beginning, with today's game against Leeds United coming at a time when the Reds are on the up

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk.(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk says there are "no excuses" for the Reds not to kick on at the start of 2026, with Arne Slot's side looking better in recent weeks.

Since drawing 3-3 with Leeds United last month, the Reds have won four games on the spin, with players like Florian Wirtz looking much more comfortable and Curtis Jones coming to the fore. Arne Slot's side still has work to do, but is certainly in a much better place than it was only a few weeks back.

With Liverpool back inside the Champions League places, Van Dijk hopes that things can continue to head in the right direction in the next few months.

"I certainly go into this year with optimism, which I hope you all share," Van Dijk writes in the official matchday program ahead of Liverpool's game with Leeds United.

"We know that this season hasn’t gone the way we hoped it would so far, and trust me when I say that we are as disappointed as anyone at that.

"We know improvement is needed in the second part of the campaign. But I believe we have shown some positive signs in recent weeks.

Virgil van Dijk and Arne Slot after Man City vs Liverpool.(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)

"It hasn’t been perfect, by any means, but to go seven games unbeaten in all competitions, we have to take that and be encouraged by that.

"The key now is to build on this recent run, to show some consistency and put ourselves in an even stronger position in the coming weeks. There is still so much to play for this season and we have to be ready for all of the challenges ahead.

"As ever, it all comes back to hard work. Like I say, we know the things we can improve on, and we must all work extremely hard, every single day, to find those improvements.

"We may have suffered a few injuries lately, but we have enough quality in our squad to cope, and we have players coming back into the fold in any case, so there can be no excuses.

"Of course, we want to start the year with a victory today, especially playing at Anfield. Our home form is always something we take great pride in.

"While we are preparing for a tough game against a team in good form in Leeds United this evening, we are all focused on delivering a performance you can all really get behind. Let's start 2026 the right way."

Liverpool.com says: While things have started to look better, there is still work to be done. Wirtz, in particular, has looked much improved of late, but Liverpool only just got over the line against Wolves. Soon, it will hope to be more convincing.