Virgil Van Dijk is excited by Liverpool’s blend of youth and experience and hopes it can propel them to success this season.

The Dutchman was named as the Reds’ new captain this summer following the departure of Jordan Henderson, who was among a number of long-serving players to leave Anfield.

This season has seen Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp blood young talents like 17-year-old winger Ben Doak and 20-year-old defender Jarell Quansah along with new signings Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch.

Van Dijk told the PA news agency: “I don’t see it as a challenge, things happen for a reason, players move on and new players come in, players get new roles and I think that’s a very exciting thing.

“Obviously the captain has changed, the vice-captain has changed, the leadership group has changed, the players have different responsibilities outside the pitch. I think everyone is enjoying their roles at the moment and the team spirit is very high.

“Everyone is realising that everyone has a role to play and, whether you start, if you’re on the bench or whether you come on, everyone is trying to make a difference. I think so far that’s really good and that’s the basis of success.

“I think the squad we have at the moment looks very exciting. We have the quality to make it difficult for every team in the world.”

Van Dijk enjoys helping guide the younger members of the squad, saying: “You feel a responsibility. I know exactly how I was when I came up the ranks when I was younger.

“It’s never easy and, as one of the older guys, one of the experienced guys, I want to help them where I can.

“Obviously you don’t need to hold their hands but you need to make sure they’re able to perform in the best way possible and I think so far everyone is really enjoying doing that and we have to just keep that level.”

The Reds certainly seem to have turned a corner after last season’s struggles, winning seven games in a row in all competitions prior to last weekend’s controversial loss to Tottenham.

Van Dijk admits it was initially tough to move on following Luis Diaz’s wrongly disallowed goal and red cards for Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota, but he said: “It’s part of life. Obviously it’s difficult but life gives you challenges so you have to deal with it.

“You definitely can take a lot of positive things out of that game. Obviously it’s quite difficult when you lose to see the positive things immediately and that was definitely a difficult period after the game but a couple of days later you realise and you analyse certain things.

“I was really proud to see how strong my team was as a unit. It’s something to build on and we will build on this and just keep going.”

Next up for Liverpool is an away trip on Sunday to Brighton, who will be looking for a response of their own after last weekend’s 6-1 hammering by Aston Villa.

“It’s not really about showing a reaction, it’s just trying to play the best game that you can do at that time,” said Van Dijk. “It’s the last game before the international break so we want to finish this part of the season well.

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“Obviously they had a difficult result the other day but I think they’re a very, very good team with a very good manager, a clear style of play and it’s always been difficult the games we’ve played against them over the last couple of years.

“It’s going to be tough but we have to be confident and try to do everything in our power to win the game. Obviously we have the quality to make it difficult for them and we have to show it.

“The main thing for us is to stay consistent. That’s the key to winning something. And obviously no injuries, and that’s what we try to avoid. I’m very happy with the start we had as a team.”

Van Dijk was speaking in his new role as an ambassador for McDonald’s Fun Football, the largest free grass-roots participation programme in the UK, which offers 250,000 children every year the opportunity to play for free.

“I’m so glad that I’m part of this whole campaign,” said the 32-year-old. “I just want to be an example for the kids. The last free football session I attended in the city centre of Liverpool I took my two eldest daughters with me and they had an amazing time.”

:: McDonald’s Fun Football offers girls and boys, aged 5-11, access to fun and inclusive coaching across the UK for free. Sign up now at mcdonalds.co.uk/football

Dominik Szoboszlai’s superb strike helped Liverpool into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup as they came from behind to beat Championship Leicester 3-1.

The hosts were stunned when Kasey McAteer fired the Foxes in front in only the third minute.

But sustained pressure from Jurgen Klopp’s side eventually told as Cody Gakpo levelled before Szoboszlai came off the bench to put them in front with an unstoppable shot in the 70th minute.

Diogo Jota added a third in the 89th minute and it was no less than Liverpool, winners of this competition a record nine times, deserved after they poured forward in response to the early setback, having 27 attempts at goal in all.

McAteer’s early goal remained Leicester’s only shot on target by the final whistle.

Jurgen Klopp had made 10 changes to the side that beat West Ham 3-1 at the weekend to maintain their impressive start to the Premier League campaign but Enzo Maresca, whose side are top of the Championship as they eye an instant return to the top flight, matched him with just as many.

And the in-form visitors silenced the windswept Anfield crowd as a Liverpool free-kick turned into a Leicester goal.

Kostas Tsimikas’ delivery was punched clear and the Greece defender was left in a heap by Marc Albrighton as Yunus Akgun raced clear before slipping the perfect ball into the path of 21-year-old academy product McAteer, who had time to pick a spot for his fifth goal of the season.

A Liverpool response was guaranteed, but Wataru Endo, making his third start since joining from Stuttgart, fired a shot narrowly wide before Harry Souttar blocked Gakpo’s shot after neat passing cut open Leicester’s defence.

The following corner was worked short to find Jota at the far post but the Portuguese forward fell over the ball before Jakub Stolarczyk blocked Ben Doak’s shot as the 17-year-old picked up the pieces.

Doak then went even closer from the next corner, hitting the crossbar on the rebound as Stolarczyk could only parry a shot from Liverpool’s 20-year-old defender Jarell Quansah.

Gakpo thought he had equalised in the 22nd minute as he headed Tsimikas’ free-kick goalwards but Conor Coady – belatedly making his Leicester debut at his boyhood club following injury – scrambled it off the line.

A mistake from Ricardo Pereira led to Liverpool’s next opportunity as helost control inside the area and Harvey Elliott played in Gakpo, but his shot was deflected over.

Liverpool trailed at the break despite having 15 shots to Leicester’s two, but needed only three minutes of the second half to level.

Ryan Gravenberch, making his first Anfield start, fizzed in a pass to Gakpo, who stuck out a leg to control with his back to goal before twisting to find the bottom corner of the net.

Liverpool were firmly on top now and Gakpo should have had a second just before the hour, getting a glancing header on Elliott’s cross but watching it hit the underside of the crossbar and bounce down on to the line before Leicester cleared.

Both managers turned to their benches to strengthen, with Maresca sending on Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Patson Daka, while Klopp called on Szoboszlai and Darwin Nunez.

Klopp was the manager to see his moves pay off as within five minutes of coming on, Szoboszlai unleashed an unstoppable shot into the top left-hand corner from the edge of the D.

Liverpool continued to pile on the pressure, and Jota sealed it in the 89th minute as he flicked Quansah’s low cross in off the inside of the post.