Sepp van den Berg has revealed Virgil van Dijk advised him to leave Liverpool on loan during the summer transfer window.
A £1.3m signing from PEC Zwolle in the summer of 2019, the 19-year-old has made just four appearances for Liverpool since arriving in England.
And in February of this year, Van den Berg moved to Preston North End on loan as a replacement for Ben Davies, who moved to Anfield for an initial fee of just £500,000.
Despite the Lilywhites enduring a challenging campaign, the defender reaped the benefits of regular game-time in the Championship and impressed with a host of impressive displays.
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Having finished his half-season stint with 16 appearances to his name, Van den Berg then opted to return to Deepdale for the season this summer.
And now speaking about the move, the Dutchman has revealed he was encouraged to return to North End by Van Dijk, who he dreams of playing alongside next season.
“They (Liverpool) were satisfied then (last summer). And hopefully, even more after this year,” he told Dutch publication NOS via Sport Witness.
“Actually, the plan was to participate in the preparation with the first team of Liverpool this season, but I thought it was best to be rented out for another year.
“I quickly noticed what big steps you can take in six months of Championship. So I thought: if I play there for another year, I really have a chance at Liverpool.
“He (Virgil van Dijk) asked me how I thought it went at Preston and told me that he thought it was a good choice because making minutes is so important.
“Who knows, I may be next to him next season. You should always keep dreaming.”
