Liverpool owner John W Henry heckled at Boston Red Sox game by fan who tells him: 'Sign Virgil van Dijk in January, it's the right thing to do'

  • Virgil van Dijk was heavily linked with a move to Liverpool over the summer 
  • But the Southampton defender has remained on the south coast
  • One Boston-based Reds fan is very keen to see the Dutchman go to Anfield
  • At a Red Sox baseball match, he called on John W Henry to sign Van Dijk

Even 5,000 miles away, and in a stadium devoted to an entirely different sport, Liverpool owner John W Henry can't get away from talk about Virgil van Dijk.

Henry, the majority shareholder of the Fenway Sports Group which owns both the Anfield club and the Boston Red Sox, found himself picked out by a fan at a recent Major League Baseball game.

The supporter was caught on video repeatedly urging Henry to sign Van Dijk - the Southampton defender who was heavily linked with a move to Merseyside during the summer.

Liverpool owner John W Henry (right) was heckled during a baseball match in the USA

Liverpool owner John W Henry (right) was heckled during a baseball match in the USA

Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk was heavily linked with a move to Liverpool

Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk was heavily linked with a move to Liverpool

A 19-second video of the heckling has been posted on social media, showing Henry looking somewhat uncomfortable.


'Sign Virgil van Dijk in January,' the fan shouts. 'It's the right thing to do.

'Van Dijk in January. It's the right thing to do. He wants to play for us.'

Throughout the exchange, Henry stands arms-crossed and briefly appears to look in the direction of the supporter without acknowledging his remarks.

The Van Dijk saga rumbled on throughout the summer, with the Dutchman at one point handing in a transfer request in an effort to leave Southampton.

The incident involving a fan and Henry was posted in a 19-second video on social media

The incident involving a fan and Henry was posted in a 19-second video on social media

For much of the clip, Henry stands arms crossed without acknowledging the supporter

For much of the clip, Henry stands arms crossed without acknowledging the supporter

In the end, however, he remained on the south coast - much to the frustration of Liverpool fans who were keen for reinforcements to their side's fragile defensive line.

However, manager Jurgen Klopp has insisted that Van Dijk alone would not be the answer to his team's struggles at the back.

He said: 'If these problems could be solved by one player you can imagine we would have put all our money into it and say: 'Let's do this'.

'It is about being dominant and losing a bit of a grip on the game in all the defensive moments.

'There is space for improvement. We need to learn to be dominant and not give easy goals.

'It is not a general defending problem but we have to improve 100 per cent.' 

Henry is the face of the Fenway Sports Group, which owns Liverpool and the Boston Red Sox

Henry is the face of the Fenway Sports Group, which owns Liverpool and the Boston Red Sox