Virgil van Dijk: Jurgen Klopp departure 'hard to take'

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has said that the imminent departure of Reds manager Jurgen Klopp is "hard to take" for the club's players.

Klopp stunned the football world on Friday by announcing his decision to leave as Liverpool boss at the end of the current season, saying that he is "running out of energy".

Before he exits, Liverpool still have plenty to play for, as they are currently five points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table and booked their spot in the Carabao Cup final with a 3-2 aggregate victory over Fulham earlier this week.

On Sunday, they host Norwich City in the FA Cup fourth round and there is the potential for a Europa League final appearance in Dublin, when the Aviva Stadium hosts the decider on 22 May.

Like Liverpool's fans, Van Dijk is still processing his manager's announcement but the Dutchman insists the players are focused on ensuring that Klopp goes out on a high.

"It's a hard one to take, because the manager means so much for us, to me, to the club, to the whole Premier League I think," the skipper told the Liverpool website.

"But he made the decision for him and his family. It was always going to be a tough one and it was definitely the case.

"He told us in private, of course, and all of us were together.

"Like I said, it's a hard one to take but our mindset is to focus on business. We have a lot of targets still to achieve this year and why not finish the season on a high and together with celebrations for the boss as well?"

Klopp arrived at Anfield in October 2015, taking over from Brendan Rodgers when the club were languishing in 10th position in the Premier League table.

The German oversaw massive overhaul among the squad before delivering his first trophy in the