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Virgil van Dijk spoke to Florian Wirtz on the phone to persuade the exciting German talent to sign for Liverpool, telling him: "Liverpool is the place to be."

Wirtz joined the Reds on a long-term contract earlier this summer after a deal worth up to £116 million ($156 million) with add-ons was agreed with Bayer Leverkusen.

And a phone call with club captain Van Dijk helped seal the deal.



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Speaking to The Athletic, Van Dijk said: "When I joined the club, I said, 'I don’t think there’s a better place to be than Liverpool.' I really feel that way.

Wirtz is under pressure to deliver for Liverpool this season.

Van Dijk, who was speaking during the club's preseason tour of Asia, was then asked what he said to Wirtz on the phone.

But I said to him, 'Liverpool is the place to be.'"

Wirtz arrives on Merseyside with a big reputation after a stellar career in his homeland