What a debut.
It just had to be him. Virgil van Dijk booked Liverpool’s place in the FA Cup fourth round with a towering header to beat a stubborn Everton at Anfield.
Van Dijk had enjoyed a solid game up until that point but turned it into a debut to remember when he got on the end of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s corner.
Van Dijk, known for his aerial prowess, outjumped Phil Jagielka while beating Jordan Pickford to the ball to send the Kop into a frenzy.
It’s a night he won’t soon forget. They bought him for his defensive abilities but they’ll happily accept his capacity to make a difference at the other end too.
The Reds had taken the lead through James Milner’s penalty before Gylfi Sigurdsson scored a fine goal on the counter to draw the Toffees level. Then, with the tie headed towards a replay at Goodison Park, van Dijk stepped up to cap his Liverpool debut in memorable fashion. The rest, as they say, is history.
You can't beat a debut goal…and in a derby…and at the Kop end…Van Dijk will remember that.
— Graeme Bailey (@GraemeBailey) January 5, 2018
Who writes these scripts?
Virgil Van Dijk.
— Michael Oti Adjei (@OtiAdjei) January 5, 2018
🙌 It had to be…
👏 Virgil van Dijk scores on his #LFC debut! pic.twitter.com/8oXSAcKV4D
— Sky Bet (@SkyBet) January 5, 2018
……van Dijk…….scoring….at his debut…at the Kop…..
Liverpool got the number nine they have missed for a while
— Jan Aage Fjørtoft 🇳🇴 (@JanAageFjortoft) January 5, 2018
Van Dijk has genuinely put in one of the best defensive performances in a Liverpool shirt that I've seen in half a decade and it's only his fuckin debut jfc
— Si (@PhantomGoal) January 5, 2018
Would you pay £75M for Van Dijk again? pic.twitter.com/tC5IFr38Ar
— LFC Transfer Room (@LFCTransferRoom) January 5, 2018
Keown: 'Look at the way Van Dijk leaps for that header, he's like a Rolls Royce, purring into the air, he heads it down like a Rolls Royce would as well. Want one of these mushrooms, I'm f*cked here, pal."
— Paddy Power (@paddypower) January 5, 2018
https://twitter.com/MartyMcFlyLFC/status/949400082453028865
RT Footy_Community: Virgil Van Dijk tonight:
Liverpool debut ✅
Merseyside derby ✅
Scores in front of the Kop ✅
Knocks Everton out the cup ✅ https://t.co/vEAAM8aAyV— Matched Betting Lad (@Matchedbetlad) January 5, 2018
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