Virgil van Dijk admits he enjoys the responsibility of being Liverpool captain and has set himself a high bar when it comes to the standards required to lead by example both on and off the pitch.

The Dutchman has relished the responsibility of leadership since he first took the armband for Willem II’s under-19s team and it is no surprise he lists the likes of Roger Federer, LeBron James and Tom Brady as his inspiration.

Those exacting principles mean even the slightest error will lead to him vowing to never make the same mistake again and it is why he is regarded as one of the best, potentially the best, centre-back of his generation.

Praise has been flooding in for the Netherlands international all season but after his performance in last weekend’s win over Manchester City the plaudits escalated to another level.

But while the outside noise grows over Liverpool’s title challenge and Van Dijk’s elevation to the ranks of one the best in Premier League history, the 33-year-old remains focused on driving himself and his team-mates forward.

“I always had that responsibility feeling since a younger age,” he told the PA news agency at an event in Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey, which provides accommodation for families of children undergoing treatment at the Liverpool hospital and looking for donations for a new refurb.

“I became a captain first for the under-19s at Willem II in my last season before I left there. Playing in the position I do you have to feel the responsibility.

“I felt like I had it and I grew into it even more. I really enjoy it, it keeps me on my toes, it keeps me always ready to perform no matter what.

“The expectation from everyone out there, including my team-mates, is also going to be high and that’s the standard I’ve set and I like it.

“But I definitely keep myself to a higher standard, I always want to play my best game ever. That’s the aim.

“A small error – not even being seen as an error but what I see as an error – can definitely be on my mind and then the next thought is ‘This will never happen again’ and I work on it and move on.

“You have to set the right example, you have to lead by example, you have to find different solutions when you are under pressure.”