Premier League club Liverpool have officially announced that team captain Virgil van Dijk has signed a new contract to ensure he remains with the team beyond the 2024-25 season.

The 33-year-old Van Dijk joined Liverpool from Southampton in January 2018. He has played 314 games for the team, scored 27 goals, and has become a recognized world-class player. This contract extension comes almost seven and a half years after he joined Liverpool.

"I'm very happy and very proud," Van Dijk told Liverpool's official website. "I'm filled with emotions when I talk about this. It's a kind of pride and a kind of joy. It's incredible that this professional journey can continue for two years at Liverpool. I'm really happy."

“I knew from the beginning that the answer was Liverpool. I always had one direction in mind, and that was to stay here. For me and my family, this is where we belong. Someone recently called me an ‘adopted Scouser’ and it made me very proud and warm to hear that.”

Since joining Liverpool, Van Dijk has helped the team win the Premier League, Champions League, Club World Cup, European Super Cup, FA Cup and two League Cup titles. Van Dijk personally won the PFA Player of the Year in 2019 and was selected into the Premier League Team of the Year four times.

In the summer of 2023, Van Dijk took over the captain's armband and became the captain of Liverpool. With this contract extension, Van Dijk will continue to lead the team to strive for more honors. Currently, Liverpool has 76 points in the Premier League this season, ranking first, 13 points ahead of Arsenal, which is in second place. If they maintain their form, Liverpool will successfully win the Premier League championship.