'Virgil van Dijk walked off furious when I interviewed him after Erling Haaland masterclass'

Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Mirror or go back to LFC Live.

Back in October 2019, the forward - then spearheading Red Bull Salzburg's attack - exploded onto the scene by coming off the bench and scoring at Anfield in a thrilling 4-3 defeat to the reigning European champions.Weeks earlier, Haaland had marked his Champions League debut with a blistering hattrick against Genk but it was that cameo on Merseyside that truly turned heads - and, by some accounts, left Van Dijk simmering with frustration.READ MORE: Jamie Carragher raises referee suspicion as Virgil van Dijk controversy stuns LiverpoolREAD MORE: Man City's Premier League fixtures compared to title rivals after statement Liverpool winAfter the game, former Norway international Jan Aage Fjortoft claimed that Van Dijk was so incensed he refused to answer questions about Haaland - allegedly to avoid discussing his own mistakes against the youngster - before abruptly ending the interview."The first time I saw him [Haaland] live was at Anfield when he came on and I was amazed that this young kid created so much space," Fjortoft told the Blood Red podcast in 2020. I was amazed how he created space and how I define that is how his runs are wise and experienced."After the game, I interviewed Van Dijk, who I always like to interview because he is a gentleman, and I said 'I have to ask you about the Norwegian, Erling Halaand.' And he just said: 'Well, we won the game'.

So I said 'Yes, but what do you think about him?' Van Dijk said: 'I didn't see a lot of him' and he was a bit angry because there was some mistakes done."And I said 'It's a good sign for a striker when a defender says he didn't see him!' - and then he just went away, Van Dijk."Two months later, Haaland signed for Borussia Dortmund, turning down a move to Manchester United in the process. In Germany, he plundered 86 goals in 89 games before joining Manchester City in 2022 - where he has since continued his habit of tormenting Liverpool.Sunday's strike was his fourth in nine appearances against the Reds and judging by Van Dijk's pre-match comments, the Dutchman may have sensed what was coming.

Haaland has spoken highly of Van Dijk ahead of the game, describing him as "an amazing player."Speaking to Stan Sport Football, he said: "Of course, it's fun [to play against Liverpool]. "He [Van Dijk] is an amazing player, Liverpool is an amazing team.