The Liverpool loanee has never been afraid to take his future into his own hands.

After being farmed out again by Jurgen Klopp’s Premier League title challengers last summer, the 22-year-old was keen to make clear that – if Liverpool are in no position to offer him a place in their first-team picture going forward – then he would have few qualms about pursuing a clean break and a permanent departure.

And, on current form, Sepp van den Berg should not be short of offers.

If the former Netherlands Under 21 international had been criticised for his role in Mainz’s dismal start to the season – the 05ers won only two games by mid-March and were hammered 8-1 by Bayern Munich – then it’s only fair that Van den Berg is given his flowers following a sudden upturn in results.

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Mainz are on a four-game unbeaten run, winning three, with Saturday’s 4-1 hammering of Hoffenheim closing the gap on Bochum, Wolfsburg and Union Berlin in the relegation play-off spot.

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“Sepp has taken a big step this year,” beams Mainz team-mate Phillipp Mwene, speaking in glowing terms about the former Preston North End and Schalke stopper (Voetbal Primeur).

“He is very solid at the moment.

Another good central defender for the Netherlands.”

Unfortunately for Van den Berg, one of those other Dutch defenders is none other than Virgil van Dijk.

Alongside Ibrahima Konate, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez, the Liverpool captain has ensured that first-team opportunities have been few and far between for Van den Berg at his parent club.

“Of course he still needs to improve in some areas, but he is still very young,” ex-PSV Eindhoven full-back Mwene adds.

“If you have that kind of mentality, combined with those qualities, then you decide where your ceiling is.”

Van den Berg is clearly a mature head on young shoulders.

And that will stand him in good stead should the youngster make good on his promise to pursue the kind of regular first-team football that appears to be out of reach at Anfield.

“If I go back to Liverpool, they may want me to stay.

If I notice that a lot of playing time is not available, then I may have to make the choice to leave,” Van den Berg told Voetbal Nieuws in February, all the while insisting that he plans to continue his development in one of Europe’s major leagues rather than make a return to the Eredivisie.

“For me, it is really important that I play.