Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has insisted that he is unfazed by the prospect of being booed by Southampton supporters on his first return to St Mary's.

The Dutch centre-back is expected to start the Reds' trip to the south coast on Sunday afternoon, a month on from swapping the two clubs in a record-breaking deal for a defender.

Van Dijk upset fans of his former club prior to leaving after handing in a second transfer request, but the £75m acquisition is prepared for what is likely to be a frosty reception, with three points the target for Liverpool.

"Maybe they can boo the whole game. You can't do anything about it," Sky Sports News quotes him as saying. "Obviously it'll be nice to see the players and the friends I have there but, for me, it is going to be about one thing only and that is to win the game.

"With the football we play, the pressing, the different options with players, it is totally different here. So you need time to get used to everything but I am working on it every day together with the team.

"I am talking with the manager and everyone who can help me out. I want to improve and get the maximum out of myself and that is what I am going to do."

Van Dijk scored against Everton on his Liverpool debut and has featured a further three times in all competitions.