Liverpool defender Sepp van den Berg has affirmed that he still dreams of making a name for himself at Anfield despite his recent explosive interview.
Since joining the Reds' ranks from PEC Zwolle in the summer of 2019, the Dutchman has failed to endear himself to coaching staff and played just four times under Jurgen Klopp.
The erstwhile Liverpool boss was happy to send Van den Berg out on loan three times, as the 22-year-old represented Preston North End before two spells in Germany with Schalke 04 and Mainz 05.
Van den Berg's stint at the latter was a huge success, as the defender scored three times in 33 Bundesliga appearances, seeing his stock rise significantly as he helped Mainz stay in the division.
The Dutchman is now back at Liverpool, where he is under contract until the summer of 2026, but he has not played for the club competitively since February 2020 and recently slammed the Reds for hindering his future in a striking outburst.
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Van den Berg reveals Liverpool "dream"
Eredivisie giants PSV Eindhoven are thought to be the main contenders to sign Van den Berg, but Liverpool have supposedly turned down one £8.4m bid and are demanding double that amount to consider a sale.
Despite his comments, Van den Berg has been involved in Liverpool's pre-season period under new head coach and compatriot Arne Slot, and he played 63 minutes of their recent friendly win over Real Betis in the USA.
Speaking to Sky Sports News about his future, the former Zwolle man insisted that he still 'dreams' of making the grade at Anfield but insisted that regular game time is still his number one priority.
"I'm still a Liverpool player. I enjoy it here, really. It's been a very nice pre-season. Of course a new coach, so a new era starts, fresh training, a new style of play, I really like it," the defender said.
"For me it's just about game time and at the moment I'm getting it here, so, I'm happy at the moment but it's still early, you never know what can happen. For me the most important things is playing and if I can do it here then there's no better place.
"It's one of the biggest if not the biggest club in the world so if it's here it's my dream" 🤩
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) July 27, 2024
Sepp van den Berg is hoping he can get game time at Liverpool this season 🔴 pic.twitter.com/omNGnNrGeS
"It's one of the biggest if not the biggest club in the world so if it's here then it's my dream. But for me the most important thing is playing. So, we'll see what happens."
Could Van den Berg expect regular game time at Liverpool?
There was always a possibility that Slot arriving could help to reignite Van den Berg's Reds career due to their Dutch connections, and it has not come as a surprise to see the defender involved in the USA.
However, it could be argued that Van den Berg is only earning his opportunities thanks to the absences of Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk, who were given more time off to recover from their Euro 2024 exploits.
Konate has now arrived in the USA fit and raring to go, while Van Dijk's return is not too far away either, and Van den Berg will also have to compete with Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah next season as things stand.
The 22-year-old has no doubt blossomed into a competent top-level European defender, but if it is weekly starts he is after, Anfield is unlikely to be the place for him.
