Virgil van Dijk

At 16, I was a slow right-back and wasn't good enough to play centre-back.

I don't really care, if somebody boos me or boos the team, we're trying to win the game.

I'd rather play with pressure than without.

There's always pressure at a big club.

I've been progressing as a player and as a person.

You need to be aware of the qualities of every striker you face, as I always am, but sometimes you need to be smart and more than 100% ready for anything.

I think Aguero is one of the best strikers in the League. And he's been doing it for many years.

You should not have any fear when you go out on the pitch.

It's the media who love statistics.

The bigger you get as a player, the bigger the spotlight.

I've known my best friend since I was 12 or 13.

When I went to FC Groningen, I had to take my bike to training - my first wage went on driving lessons. Before I signed my contract, I was 15 or 16 and working as a dishwasher in a Breda restaurant.

I was never a standout player until I played for the under-19s and became the captain. Then everything went much better - I played some games for the under-23s and after that it went pretty quickly.

All the players in the league, I think, want to play for trophies, want to get trophies.

You take every opportunity you have to win a trophy. That is always the goal, and winning makes it a little bit easier the next time.

Winning a trophy is important for your mentality.

You have pundits and fans from other teams who will say loads of things and it goes past me. That's life.

There's always things to improve, you can't be satisfied with what you have.

I think as a central defender you grow as a player.

Football is a game. It's something I love to do. But there are so many things in life that are more important.

If I watch big games like the Champions League on TV then I'm definitely watching what different centre-backs are doing in certain situations.

There are plenty of good central defenders around and I enjoy watching them.

Obviously there are a lot of expectations when you come to a club for a record fee but you can't change that. You just need to perform and show it on the pitch and gain respect through that.

It's always a great feeling to help Holland as well as Liverpool but we all do it together.

I want to enjoy the games because not a lot of people have the chance to do what we do. That's how we started football as well, enjoying what we are doing and that's what I try to do as well.

I'm a big TV show guy.

Why make things difficult? Why have tough times when it's not necessary?

I want to achieve great things.

I have improved since I joined Liverpool.

I have always been very critical of myself and I like the people around me to be critical too.

I am very hard on myself. I know the slightest loss of concentration, the slightest mistake will be punished. I try to limit it as much as possible.

I love to have the pressure of having to win every game, love the pressure of keeping clean sheets every game, no matter if we're 5-0 or 6-0 up.

I need to be coming off the pitch every game with my voice gone, and that's something I can bring. I am just someone who likes to organise, make sure everything is well organised, because that makes it a lot easier for yourself too.

I think it is a very important thing in football to keep each other awake and alert.

My role is the same with or without the armband.

I remember starting 'Game of Thrones,' everyone said 'you have to watch it,' but I thought 'it's science fiction, it's not real, it's nothing.' I gave it a go and then couldn't stop watching it.

I'm a big fan of 'Prison Break' - I've watched it eight times.

We just need to keep improving. Keep doing what we are doing and get better. That's the only way forward.

At Liverpool, we are all part of one unit, not just the 11 on the pitch.

To play with pressure is always a good thing. I like to play with pressure.

To be in the Champions League final is something you need to experience. To win it would obviously be the best experience ever. To be there, the build-up - with the media even, the stadium, travelling, our fans - it's something very special.

The Champions League is unbelievably big. The whole show before, the fans, the players you play against, the people who are going to watch the game, the pressure - it's very special.

I was very proud to win the PFA trophy because usually an attacker or a midfielder wins it.

I know that life is much more than football. We have family and it's all about being happy and healthy.

If you're nervous you think: 'I don't want to make mistakes or give the ball away.' But you limit your own qualities then.

As a defender I try to keep clean sheets.

I was always playing on the streets with my friends until I was 15 or 16 and I wanted to do things with my skills that were exciting.

Scoring goals looks nicer and much more attractive than a last-ditch tackle for younger people.

In every team there are going to be moments of vulnerability.

There is always room for improvement in our game.