Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has told teammate Harvey Elliott to remain patient and keep working hard after his starring cameo off the bench against Brentford.

Elliott, 21, was one of Arne Slot's inspiring second-half substitutions that eventually broke down a resolute Brentford, with Darwin Nunez scoring a brace in added time. The midfielder played a part in both of Liverpool's goals in the 2-0 win, including a direct assist for Nunez's second.

After the game, Elliott admitted to reporters that he was frustrated by his lack of game time but had hel good conversations with manager Slot about the path forward. Elliott has also vowed to continue working hard and identified where to improve to secure regular minutes.

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Captain Van Dijk echoed Elliott's comments, offering the rising Reds star sound advice and praising him for his impact. Elliott's contribution helped push Liverpool six points clear at the top of the Premier League while also holding a game in hand over second-place Arsenal.

"On Harvey, I think he was outstanding today again," Van Dijk said. "Obviously, it's not easy when you're not playing, but when you come on, like he did as well. We know his quality, and when the manager brings him on, and today he did, he showed why he's a very good player."

Van Dijk continued: "I think it's with him, obviously, and with others as well, you have to keep working hard. I think he's doing that. He's working on everything that he can improve.

"Obviously, at the end of the day, it's all about what you show on the pitch, and when you get the chance, and when you get the chance from the manager, then you have to just show it. I think today was a great response. I said to him after the game that hard work always pays off, and he has to keep going.

"He's a very talented boy. He's shown already so many good things for Liverpool. Like I said, we have a very good squad, so we have to maximise it as well, so players who don't start, when they come on, they have to make an impact. It's never easy, but today was good to see."

Slot also made sure to shine the spotlight on Elliott after Nunez's brace stole the headlines. “In all the other interviews there was a lot of focus on Darwin, because he scored two goals, and every time I said ‘yeah, but don’t forget Harvey’,” Slot told reporters. "He had a big impact on both goals as well. It’s so nice for me, for us as a team, that I have players that can impact the game on the bench as well."