Liverpool news: Thierry Henry names ‘most important player’ as target sends three-word message

Liverpool now sit 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League and will be hoping to take another major step towards lifting the title when they face Leicester this weekend

Liverpool took another step towards the Premier League title on Sunday as they beat West Ham 2-1 thanks to a late winner from captain Virgil van Dijk. The win saw them move 13 points clear at the top of the table after Arsenal dropped points on Saturday.

Their game against West Ham also saw tributes paid to the 97 supporters who died in the Hillsborough disaster, with a minute’s silence held before the game. Those tributes continued on Tuesday, which was the 36th anniversary of the tragedy, with several club representatives laying wreaths at the Hillsborough memorial at Anfield.

Liverpool will be back in action on April 20 when they travel to the King Power Stadium to take on Leicester, who are on the verge of being relegated back to the Championship. The Foxes currently sit second bottom and have won just one of their last 18 league games.

With all that in mind, Mirror Football takes a look at some of the biggest news and rumours from the last 24 hours…‌

READ MORE: Milos Kerkez sends three-word message to Liverpool after dropping transfer bombshellREAD MORE: How 11 Premier League teams could qualify for Europe next season with permutations explained

Van Dijk explains new deal

After Mohamed Salah officially signed a new two-year contract last week, Van Dijk is set to follow suit and he has all but confirmed that a new deal has been agreed. “I think first, all the focus should be going to the Hillsborough anniversary,” Van Dijk said.

“I think that’s the main thing and then we’ll see. The focus will still be on Leicester, but maybe there’s some news. I know … but I don’t know.

“I love the club, that’s pretty obvious. I think you can see that in the way I speak about the club, the way I work for the club in terms of what I do on the pitch on and off the pitch, and that will always be the same.”

Henry names “most important player”

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry believes Van Dijk is Liverpool’s “most important player”, ranking the defender ahead of Salah. While analysing Van Dijk’s goal against West Ham on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, Henry said: “You have guys that are maybe way better technically, but this is like the foundation of your club.

“You saw it, he just went into a mood of ‘I want to score’. Who can do that? He said I want to score, and he went to score. You don’t have that often. For example, if he was in that back four of Nottingham Forest, the coach doesn’t have to get up, he will sort it out.

“Yes, he will get caught out sometimes, and we saw it, but more often than not, he will stop a counter with his mouth. He doesn’t have to defend, he’s very clever. I said, he’s the most important player at Liverpool. Then you have the most valuable player is Mo Salah, he’s [Van Dijk] the most important.”

Kerkez sends message

Liverpool have been heavily linked with a summer swoop for Bournemouth defender Milos Kerkez and the 21-year-old appears to have dropped a cryptic message about his future. Taking to Instagram, Kerkez shared a photo of him in action with the caption: “I am incomparable.”

Bournemouth are said to value the left-back at around £40million and he recently spoke out about his future in an interview with the Athletic. “These are the things that my agent is on. My dad is on,” Kerkez said.

“It is not something that they occupy me with because the season is still going, so there’s no point to talk about anything. There’s games left, the FA Cup is important for us — these are big things. And then, like I say, when someone comes (in for you) you never know what’s going to happen or where you’re going to end up. In the summer, we will see what happens.”

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