Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk has admitted that he is relishing this weekend's "massive" showdown with Manchester United and is after all three points at Old Trafford.
The 26-year-old will sample the atmosphere of the famous fixture for the first time on Saturday lunchtime, two months on from making the switch from Southampton in a record fee for a defender.
Van Dijk insists that he does not need telling just how important the match is to supporters, and he intends to use his past experience of representing Celtic against Old Firm rivals Rangers to his advantage.
"It's massive - the reactions I've had already from fans, [I know] it's such a big game," he told the club's official website. "I feel that already, and have for the last few weeks.
"If you look at the table, you'll see the number two spot is very important for both of us. We want to win the game – just like the fans, we want to do everything that's possible to win it. I definitely know how important it is for our fans.
"I've played in the Old Firm derby and that was very special - now I'm definitely looking forward to this game and seeing how the atmosphere is."
Liverpool make the short trip down the M62 on the back of a seven-match unbeaten streak, keeping five clean sheets during that run.
