06 March 2024 , 21:56
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NBA superstar and Liverpool investor LeBron James had a feeling Virgil van Dijk would do great things as club captain - and so far he's been proved right.
James, who joined Liverpool's owners Fenway Sports Group as a partner in 2021, has just launched his new fashion line with the club. The 'LFC x LeBron: Chapter 2' collection came out on Wednesday, and Van Dijk showed off the gear as part of the unveiling.
Liverpool posted a video of Van Dijk watching a message from LeBron, seemingly filmed before the season and shortly after he was officially named the new club captain. In the message, James showed his support for Van Dijk succeeding Jordan Henderson after his exit and predicted he'd take Liverpool to "amazing things".
"VVD, my guy, I hope you're well," James said. "I just want to say a huge congratulations on taking the armband this season.
"I know you will lead this club on amazing things. Strive for greatness. You'll Never Walk Alone."
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Van Dijk appeared delighted with the message as he replied: "The King, isn't it? The King has spoken. Nice to have this on, let's rock and roll."
And Van Dijk has been showing James was right. With the captain's armband on, he's been a tremendous leader and playing brilliantly at the heart of the Reds' defence.
Van Dijk has already won his first trophy as captain, the Carabao Cup, and is now aiming to lead his team to win the Premier League. They are competing with Manchester City and Arsenal, despite fighting many major injuries this season.
Van Dijk took over the captaincy from Jordan Henderson (Offside via Getty Images)Henderson, who was the captain before Van Dijk, believes Van Dijk was ready for the job. Henderson talked about leaving the Reds ahead of his new club, Ajax, facing Aston Villa in the Europa League.
He said: "It was the right time for me as a player but also for them as a team and for them as a club, as much as that hurt at the time. I was very emotional.
"Looking back in that period of time, looking back now, it is easy to see that it was the right decision made by the manager and the club. It was the best decision to freshen things up. If you look at Virgil van Dijk becoming captain, Trent Alexander-Arnold becoming vice-captain, and how they've stepped up again this season, I think it has given them another lift."
"They have been two huge players for the team this season. I think it was the best thing for the club and the team and you can see that in the performances and how they've done, as much as that hurts me."