Virgil van Dijk has vowed to help Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake improve as a footballer.

Liverpool's record-signing lined up alongside Ake for the Netherlands in their 3-0 friendly win over Portugal last month.

23-year-old Ake struggled to keep out van Dijk's rampant teammates at Anfield last weekend, but the 26-year-old believes his younger compatriot has all the tools to become a top player.

Van Dijk told the Daily Echo: "Nathan is a great player and a great guy and I like him a lot.

"It is difficult to play against our attack but I know how good he can be. He is still young and can learn a lot.

"As captain of Holland, I hope for him to grow as a player and as a human being.

"I hope he can achieve as much as possible and, when we are with the national team, I can help him as well. He is doing very well and has so much potential."