"He said:" Marcel Desailly discusses what van Dijk told him when he "was with him at the final of the League Cup"

Marcel Desailly has revealed what Virgil van Dijk told him when they were together at the final of the Carabao Cup.

Liverpool beat Chelsea 11-10 on penalties after regulation time ended 0-0 but France legend, Desailly, has revealed he was in attendance and spoke to van Dijk before the game.

“I was with him at the final of the League Cup,” said Desailly, while speaking to beIN Sports. “I was asking him ‘which foot do you prefer (to play with)’.

“He said that he has two feet. He has been training with it. Different era. Modern football.

"The defenders are talented also with the ball and their ability to play with both feet.”

The Dutchman struggled at the start of the season and he made a few errors and has been questionable on a few of the goals that the Reds have conceded this term.

Yet, there is no denying that van Dijk is now close to his best and that we're beginning to see some of the football he was showcasing when Liverpool won the Champions League and the Premier League.

His ACL injury was a shock to the system but it's a relief to know that it didn't ruin his career and that he is very much still the same player even if it took him a while to get back to where he was before.

Liverpool need the 30-year-old at his best to have any chance of winning the quadruple this season.

They won the Carabao Cup and are set to take Manchester City on in the Premier League in the next test of their title credentials.

If they win on Sunday, Jürgen Klopp's men will take a giant step towards winning the league this season while losing will make it very difficult to win.

That is why van Dijk is such a key figure.

His role in Liverpool's recent defensive form is obvious.

Sometimes the former Southampton star gets away with reputation alone but he truly is a fantastic defender.

He'll get the chance to prove it this weekend with the biggest challenge of the season.

Perhaps the most important aspect of his job on Sunday will be to organise his defence.

Manchester City will have done their homework on Liverpool's offside trap and will have devised a plan on how to exploit it and so van Dijk needs to ensure there are no holes for the league leaders to find.