A new era, same uncompromising captain

Virgil van Dijk has never been shy about what he wants from the men beside him at the back. At 35, entering a new chapter under Andoni Iraola, the Liverpool captain now has two fresh faces to mould, and based on everything he has said over the years, the bar is set exactly where you'd expect it to be.

Jeremy Jacquet and Ronald Araujo both caught the eye as Liverpool closed out pre-season with a 2-0 victory over Serie A side Como on Sunday. Jacquet, making his first appearance since his £60m move from Rennes was confirmed on 1 July, went a step further and got himself on the scoresheet too, a composed, assured debut that will have done his confidence no harm whatsoever. The France Under-21 international made way at half-time for Araujo, the Uruguayan loanee from Barcelona, who brought a controlled aggression to proceedings that supporters will have enjoyed.

What the captain said after the match

Van Dijk was measured but warm in his post-match assessment of the duo. "I think Jeremy did well, same as Ronald," he said. "It's a start, a good start so hopefully he can crack on." He acknowledged that Jacquet looked tired by the break, adding: "It's absolutely normal when you're playing your first 45 minutes after such a long time."

On how the relationships will develop, Van Dijk was refreshingly direct. "By playing games," he said. "I won't say it's the only way, but games are totally different than training." That tells you everything about the man, he respects the training ground, but he knows real trust between defenders is forged under genuine pressure, in front of a full crowd, when a mistake actually costs something.

The three things Van Dijk demands from a centre-back partner

So what does it actually take to earn Van Dijk's respect as a defensive partner? Over the years, the Reds' captain has been consistent on three things. First, he wants a willingness to learn. Speaking in July 2022, he praised the way Ibrahima Konate, who left Anfield this summer for Real Madrid, absorbed everything about the position when he first arrived. "What I like the most about him is the will to learn each and every day as well," Van Dijk said. "Obviously there are loads of things that can improve, and that's good because he has time, he needs the experience. In my opinion, experience is a big thing for a centre-half to learn and to take with you."

Second, he demands honesty. In April 2018, after Liverpool threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with West Brom, Van Dijk pulled no punches speaking to Sky Sports. "We need to be honest with ourselves and everyone was," he said. "We need to do better. You have to tell each other the truth, you cannot be nice and happy when we want to achieve so much as a team, as a club." That culture of candour has been a thread running through Liverpool's best defensive performances ever since. It is not optional.

Third, and perhaps most visibly, Van Dijk expects his partners to communicate constantly. He opened up on his role in 2022, explaining: "I try to lead the boys from behind and most of the time, I have an overview of the whole pitch so I can try to shout to the front three, whether they hear it or not. Around me as well with the goalie, the full-backs, or the midfielders, I try to shout at them, whether it is nonsense or things that are necessary and need to be said. I think it is a very important thing in football to keep each other awake and alert. Sometimes they have to shout it to me as well and they will."

The education starts now

For Jacquet and Araujo, Sunday was an encouraging opening chapter, but it was still pre-season against Como, not a crunch Premier League fixture with the title on the line. The real test of whether they can absorb Van Dijk's standards will come once the competitive matches start and the margins tighten. A willingness to learn, an appetite for brutal honesty, and the voice to match their captain's when it matters most: those are the three things Van Dijk is watching for. Get those right, and Liverpool's defensive future looks in very safe hands.