11 months ago
158 Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has declared Reds centre-back Virgil van Dijk to be “the best defender in the world”.
The Liverpool manager, speaking to the Anfield media team, lauded the 32-year-old for his efforts in the Reds’ impressive form.
When Liverpool signed Van Dijk back in the 2017-18 January window, some baulked at the £75million fee the Reds handed Southampton.
However, the Dutchman has been so incredibly outstanding for club and country over the years that his transfer fee barely warrants a mention any more.
Van Dijk turned a previously rickety Liverpool defence into a fortress-like unit, helping the Reds win the likes of the Premier League, Champions League and Club World Cup in the following years.
Although the £220,000-a-week star (Spotrac) has endured a few difficult spells due to issues like injury and loss of form, he’s now back to his best and silencing his doubters.
Quizzed on how vital Van Dijk has been to his side’s impressive form, Klopp told Friday’s pre-match press conference: “It always was [and] will always be; Virg is the best defender in the world.
“Did he have lesser good spells? Yes. [But] if you show me one [player] who never had [that] I will be really happy to meet him. To be honest, probably that’s how we all are.
“When we look back in the past and the Rio Ferdinands on the planet, not to blame him, but were [they] then good all the time? Or Jaap Stam, Sami Hyypia, or whatever?
“[Were they] always perfect? Nobody was and nobody will be. So, yes, Virg in that shape is for us super, super, super-important.”
Virgil van Dijk will go down as a Liverpool legend
There’s little doubting that Van Dijk is currently the best defender in the world. He encapsulates all the traits you want from a centre-back, has plenty of silverware to prove it, and is back at the top of his game.
When players are actively playing professionally, there’s always huge debate over who is the very best in the world in any given period. But the case for Van Dijk being at the summit is certainly high.
He will go down in history as one of the all-time Liverpool legends, there’s no doubt about that.
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