Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk has insisted that his teammates should be aiming to embrace every element of their Champions League final clash with Real Madrid on Saturday evening.

The Reds' standout season reaches a head in Kiev as Jurgen Klopp's charges battle Real for the chance to claim a sixth Champions League title, leading talismanic defender Van Dijk to call on his colleagues to enjoy their trip to the NSC Olimpiyskiy.

"To be calm, that is sometimes a very good thing to have, but personally sometimes I have to learn, too," said van Dijk, according to Sky Sports News.

"Against Manchester City in the away game I was a little bit too calm in the beginning for example. That is something I have to learn as well.

"The most important thing is we as players have to enjoy every bit of this. When the whistle goes that is a different story, but when we arrive in Kiev, when we see all the Liverpool fans, when we go on the pitch for the warm-up, we have to enjoy it and make yourself ready.

"Other players maybe need to be tense, for myself I like to look around, embrace it and then when we are in the tunnel - full focus."

Van Dijk joined Liverpool for a world-record £75m fee from Southampton during the January transfer window.