Liverpool, Jun 21 (IANS): Liverpool centre back Virgil Van Dijk said that the team wants to carry on its form into next season. The Merseyside giants are two wins away from sealing their first title in over three decades with nine games to go.

"With two wins, we will be champions. But it doesn't stop there," Van Dijk is quoted as saying by Daily Mail. "We want to keep going, we want to take it into next season as well because that will start pretty quickly after the last game of this season. The manager spoke to us as well and said that what we do in these last nine games will set the tone for next season as well.

"We have not won the title yet. We have not won anything yet. But the aim is to start next season in the same fashion. We can be a team that can keep progressing. We have players who can progress and make big steps in their development. Winning the league would be a big experience that could take them to the next level."

Van Dijk has had a highly successful stay at Anfield, reaching the Champions League final in his first season and winning the title in his second. The 28-year-old said that next season, their aim will be to retain the Premier League title if they win it this year.

"We can achieve that first and foremost this season and then we will see what can happen next season. If we win the title this season, we will try to retain it. That's what we are aiming for but everyone knows how difficult it is to retain the title, especially in England and we are not there this season yet. We tried to retain our Champions League title and it wasn't possible. It's very difficult.

"We will try to focus on the nine games we have left but we hope to set the pace for the rest of next season with the title as well," he said.