“Virgil van Dijk is the best player in the world” – Chris Sutton

Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk is the “best player in the world” according to BT Sport football pundit Chris Sutton.

Van Dijk has had a fantastic start to life on Merseyside after completing his £75 million move from Premier League outfit Southampton in January 2018.

The 27-year-old has gone on to play 30 games for the Reds and in that time he has quickly established himself as, not only the most important defender in Liverpool’s squad but also one of the best centre-backs in European football.

Former Celtic striker turned football pundit Sutton has gone one step further and has put on record that he believes Van Dijk is the best player in the world, above the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Eden Hazard and Liverpool’s very own Mohamed Salah.

Speaking on BT Sport (via Liverpool Echo) Sutton was asked who his choice for best player would be, to which he responded:  “Virgil van Dijk is the best player in the world. Educated in Scotland…he’s tearing it up isn’t he? It’s what Liverpool needed – a bit of stability.”

How good is Van Dijk?

His transition from Celtic, to Southampton and finally Liverpool has seen the Dutchman’s value on and off the pitch rise considerably in such a short space of time.

It is clear to see why. His imposing presence on the pitch is enough to make even the best strikers second-guess themselves while his pace and strength are there when needed.

Forming a prolific partnership with promising English centre-back Joe Gomez, Liverpool have only conceded 13 Premier League goals since Van Dijk joined the club back in the winter months.

Conceding just three goals in the league so far this campaign, the Reds are looking defensively sound after years of relying on attacking force to earn themselves a place in the higher regions of the league.

Liverpool’s next fixture

The Reds face a trip to Italy on Wednesday as they hope to build on their winning start to this year’s Champions League campaign by beating Serie A side, Napoli.

Their next Premier League fixture isn’t any easier, this time hosting current Premier League champions Manchester City at Anfield this Sunday afternoon.

The post “Virgil van Dijk is the best player in the world” – Chris Sutton appeared first on Squawka News.

From Squawka NewsSquawka News https://ift.tt/2DKIFYW