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The Dutchman is happy to see a former colleague thriving at St Mary’s, but will be ready to limit his influence on the pitch this weekend
Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk has insisted that he knows what to expect from Danny Ings when Southampton arrive at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.
Van Dijk spent three years with the Saints before joining the Reds for a £75 million (€88m/$98m) fee in January 2018.
The Dutchman played alongside Ings during his first six months at Anfield, before the English forward sealed a season-long loan switch to St Mary’s.
Southampton signed Ings permanently for £20 million (€23m/$26m) last summer, and he has since rediscovered the form which earned him a move to Liverpool from Burnley back in 2015.
The 27-year-old has hit 14 goals in 24 Premier League outings this season, emerging as a genuine contender for the Golden Boot.
Ings will be looking to add to his tally when he returns to Anfield this weekend, but Van Dijk is confident he can keep his old team-mate quiet as Liverpool look to extend their recent league winning run to 16 matches.
“He has been a key man for them [Southampton] and helped turn it around,” the Netherlands international said.
“I’m very happy for him and very happy for the club. I hope they kick on, but Saturday we try to get a result. At this stage, you don’t need to study strikers any more.
“Normally you know their strengths and weaknesses. You try to prepare as good as possible but most of the time, it’s to make sure you’re 100 per cent ready.”
“The strikers we are facing at the moment we have played against many times.”
Van Dijk has helped Liverpool win three major trophies since his arrival on Merseyside, including the Champions League and Club World Cup.
Jurgen Klopp’s men are also on course to win a first Premier League crown come May, having established a 19-point lead over reigning champions Manchester City at the top of the table.
Reflecting on his decision to swap St Mary’s for Anfield two years ago, Van Dijk added: “The decision I made has not been too bad!
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“I’m 28 now and I want to fulfil every dream I ever had. Life can be short. Your career can be short as well.
“I want to enjoy every minute of it. I’m enjoying playing with this team and this manager. We can’t look too far ahead. But right now, I’m enjoying it.
“I don’t look at the table. You [only] need to look at the table at the end of the season.”
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