Van Dijk partnered 21-year-old centre-back Nat Phillips at the heart of the defence for the second half of the Reds’ 2-0 friendly victory over Blackburn Rovers on Thursday.
Along with the likes of Curtis Jones and Rafa Camacho, Phillips has been a permanent fixture in Jürgen Klopp’s matchday squads for the first four games of the summer, against Chester FC, Tranmere Rovers, Bury and Blackburn respectively.
And Netherlands captain Van Dijk sees it is an enjoyable responsibility to make sure such prospects feel at home among the club’s senior stars.
“From my perspective I like to, especially in these pre-season games, play with the younger guys and help them a lot,” the No.