Virgil van Dijk has been a colossal for Liverpool since he arrived at the club back in 2018, but at 34 years of age, he appears to be playing his best football yet.
As Liverpool cruised past Tottenham last night 4-0 to book another spot in the Carabao Cup final, van Dijk was impervious at the back once again.
Speaking after the match, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher had ran out of superlatives to describe the Dutchman.
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“He’s too good for the highest level of football. It’s almost like it’s still too easy for him. It almost feels like there should be another level above that for Van Dijk because he plays the game with such ease.
“I watched him here against Haaland – the best goalscorer around, a big, powerful lad who’s got pace – and it doesn’t even feel like [Van Dijk] is trying. Has he sprinted in the game tonight?”
Former Tottenham captain Michael Dawson was with the ex Reds star in the punditry box, and echoed his colleagues thoughts on the current Liverpool captain.
“He never gets dirty. He looks immaculate at the end of [a game] because he cruises through. He gets people [into position], he’s always talking. He plays in front of him.
"He has calm – diagonal ball into Salah, plays it to Robbo [Andy Robertson]. He just oozes class, everything about him.”
Carragher interjected at this point to make a claim that is sure to enrage those who firmly believe that defenders like John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, or Tony Adams deserve this accolade.
“You said before that he’s the best [centre-back] in the Premier League. He is the best, but it’s not even a debate. This nonsense about all the other defenders who are great defenders, and I’ve played with a lot of them, he’s so far above it. It’s a joke.
“Football is that easy for him. I’ve never seen a player at that ease, probably in any position, not just at centre-back. It’s a walk in the park for him.”
As is always the case in football, fans will chirp in with their own opinions, and it's hard to compare players from different eras, but Carragher is certain that van Dijk stands clear ahead of the rest.
