Dean Saunders: 'Virgil van Dijk has an attitude problem'

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 30 December 2017

Saunders: 'Van Dijk has attitude problem'

Former Liverpool striker Dean Saunders claims that new £75m signing Virgil van Dijk needs to improve his attitude if he is to succeed at the club.

Former Liverpool striker Dean Saunders has claimed that the club's new record signing Virgil van Dijk needs to prove that he has the right attitude to succeed at Anfield.

Van Dijk has agreed a £75m move to Merseyside from Southampton and will become the world's most expensive defender when he completes the switch on January 1.

However, Saunders is not entirely convinced by the Dutchman and believes that he could be found out when the going gets tough.

"I have seen van Dijk with the chips down and I've got to be honest, I hope I'm wrong, but his attitude has got to be better than he has shown. If I'm Liverpool manager I might think he'll do that to me," Saunders told talkSPORT.

"If I was Klopp, I would say to van Dijk: 'I'm going to pay £75m for you, I'm going to give you £200,000 a week, all I want from you is an hour and a half's training from you every day flat out and try your best on a Saturday, is that a deal?'

"If you come in one day and you're not having a go in training you are breaking the contract. If [van Dijk] doesn't do that, he will get found out."

Van Dijk will be eligible to play for Liverpool during the New Year's Day clash with Burnley.