Liverpool captain Virgil Van Dijk has addressed his teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold being booed at Anfield.
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The English Premier League champions played their first league game since Alexander-Arnold announced his exit from the club in a 2-2 draw against rivals Arsenal.
The Englishman started the game on the bench and was substituted into the game halfway through the second half to a chorus of boos by the Anfield crowd.
The Dutch defender revealed his thoughts following the game and he echoed the words of manager Arne Slot by saying he cannot control how the fans respond, the Daily Mail reported.
"The reaction happened," Van Dijk said. "He has to deal with it. We as a team have to deal with that as well, by the way. But I think maybe he expected this. We have two more games and then we part ways and he will go somewhere else," the captain added.
The ex-Southampton defender reportedly admitted that the team would support the number 66 but acknowledged his decision.
"It's football. We all know how it works, how the players have to make decisions at times and do what they think is best for themselves and their families that they have. He made the decision for himself and he's at peace with it.
Van Dijk and Mohammed Salah penned new two-year deals with the club and the 33-year-old said he was happy to stay at Liverpool.
"For me, there is no other place to be at this point,' said the Dutchman. "Everyone shares different opinions and he feels like he has done it all – and he did it – and he wants to try something different.
The captain admitted that Alexander-Arnold's departure would be a big miss, the team was focused on his final two games and celebrating the title win.
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"When the final whistle is there we will miss him after that but we still have two more games, the trophy lift and a parade so there are plenty of moments we can share together and then we will see what happens," he said.
