Virgil van Dijk revealed Jordan Henderson sent him a message ahead of joining Liverpool that in his eyes is ‘gold dust,’ but the Dutchman refused to be drawn on the nature of the text.

Van Dijk signed from Southampton in 2018 for a fee of around £75m, making him the most expensive defender in the world at the time. While many baulked at the cost of the transfer, Van Dijk has more than justified that outlay in the years since.

Approaching seven years to the day since signing for Liverpool, the defender and former team-mate Henderson spoke in a recent interview, where the latter said he never questioned the fee paid.

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“From where I was sitting it was a bargain,” the now Ajax midfielder told Amazon Prime. “I spoke to Virgil before he came, ask him what I sent him in the text.”

Shown the clip, Van Dijk laughed but did not reveal the exchange between the pair. “You want me to say it? This will come out one day. It’s gold dust, guys,” he responded.

Van Dijk was ultimately the man who replaced Henderson as captain when he departed Liverpool in 2023. Since taking over, the ex-Celtic man has led the Reds to one piece of silverware - the Carabao Cup last season - but is hopeful of lifting more trophies this term.

Liverpool sits four points clear at the top of the Premier League table, with two games in hand on the chasing pack, is first in the expanded Champions League group, has progressed to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup and begins its FA Cup campaign in January.

Van Dijk hasn’t missed a single minute for Liverpool in this season’s Premier League and Champions League under Arne Slot, and looks a shoo-in to remain in the side when Leicester City travels to Anfield on Boxing Day.

However, his future looks less certain. The 33-year-old’s contract expires at the end of the season and he is yet to sign a new deal with the club. In fact, he will be able to start negotiating with foreign clubs from next week onwards. But there is still hope an extension is on the horizon for the experienced center-back.

“I feel like Virgil could play until 39, 40 if he wanted to,” Henderson said in his Amazon interview. “So, for me, if they give him a contract for two, three, four years, it would be a pretty good bit of business for the club.”