Virgil van Dijk targeting Premier League glory to end Liverpool’s six years without a trophy

The Dutch defender was part of the side that within a whisker of winning the Champions League last season and hopes to go one step further in 2018/19

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk is confident the team can step up another level in the upcoming campaign as the Premier League side looks to end their trophy drought after coming close in recent seasons.

The Merseyside outfit's most recent triumph was a League Cup win in 2012 and despite showing improvement under Jürgen Klopp, the German manager has seen them lose three finals since he joined the club in 2015.

"We're going to work our socks off and do everything possible to make it happen this season. We were very close to silverware but obviously not close enough," Netherlands international Van Dijk told Liverpool's website.

"I can improve in any aspect of the game. At the moment, it's getting back to full fitness, making sure I'm getting better and stronger than I was before. I will work every day and do everything possible and no doubt it will happen."

The 27-year-old made 22 appearances for Liverpool after he joined them in January, helping the club finish fourth in the league and reach the Champions League final, which they lost 3-1 to Real Madrid in May.

Van Dijk missed Liverpool's first pre-season friendly on Saturday, when Klopp's men recorded a crushing 7-0 win over non-league Chester, but is expected to take part in several fixtures leading up to next month's Premier League kick-off.