Van Dijk sends Solanke message after Tottenham Europa League heroics
Virgil van Dijk has sent a message to former teammate Dominic Solanke after Tottenham won the UEFA Europa League.
Tottenham beat Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League final on Wednesday (21 May) to secure a first trophy for 17 years.
Liverpool supporters will have been glad to see their arch rivals defeated in the final and their former striker add a trophy to his collection.
Mohamed Salah took to his personal X account (21 May) to congratulate Ange Postecoglou, and Reds captain Virgil van Dijk has sent a message of his own to Solanke.
Van Dijk congratulates Solanke after Europa League success
Solanke left Liverpool in 2019 to join Bournemouth, before securing his switch to Europa League winners, Tottenham.
The ex-Red took to his personal Instagram account (22 May) to share an image of himself with the trophy and his medal, and van Dijk liked the post and commented.
The 33-year-old left a clapping hands emoji on his former teammate’s post.
Liverpool fans will love Tottenham success
There are a couple of reasons why Liverpool supporters will have enjoyed watching Tottenham beat Manchester United in the Europa League final.
For starters, the Red Devils are Liverpool’s biggest rivals, and the two have constantly battled for supremacy in English football, with the Merseysiders recently matching their foes’ tally for 20 English league titles.
| Trophy | Liverpool | United |
| Premier League | 20 | 20 |
| Champions League | 6 | 3 |
| FA Cup | 8 | 13 |
| League Cup | 10 | 6 |
| Europa League/UEFA Cup | 3 | 1 |
| UEFA Super Cup | 4 | 1 |
| FIFA Club World Cup | 1 | 1 |
| Cup Winners Cup/Intercontinental Cup | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 52 | 47 |
The thought of United winning a trophy and trying to diminish the Reds’ title success was a harrowing one. However, this did not come to fruition after the Manchester outfit were beaten by Tottenham.
Also, when Liverpool and Tottenham met in the UEFA Champions League final in 2019, which Jurgen Klopp’s side won, the Spurs fans showed class and grace in defeat.
That respect, combined with Liverpool’s hatred for Ruben Amorim’s side, means that they will be very happy with how proceedings unfolded in the Bilbao contest.
It will be business as usual when they take on Tottenham next season, potentially in Europe’s elite competition as well as in the league, with Arne Slot’s side looking to defend their crown.
However, for now, the Reds’ fans and players will join the Lilywhites in celebrating their success over the Old Trafford outfit for the foreseeable future until the new campaign comes around.