Liverpool fans shocked by Van Dijk, why?

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has insisted his teammates will deal with the public backlash surrounding Trent Alexander-Arnold's decision to leave the club at the end of the season, despite being shocked to learn of the news. The England international came on as a 67th-minute substitute in the 2-2 Premier League draw with Arsenal, just six days after confirming he would not be renewing his contract which expires next month, and was booed by many fans. The 20-year-old was booed with every touch of the ball, and after the game, Luis Diaz tried to calm the crowd, while Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai expressed theivirgilr displeasure with the fans' behaviour. Van Dijk said: "We're very sad that he won't be with us next year because he's a fantastic player with exceptional qualities that we've seen over the last seven years. There was a reaction from the fans and he has to deal with that, and so do we as a team." "It wasn't really expected, to be honest, but I think he expected it. It's not easy at all, and we're here for him," Van Dijk continued.