Virgil van Dijk is already looking to be one of Liverpool’s best signings in the past 30 years, according to Jamie Carragher.
The Dutch centre-back has been a big part of Liverpool’s improving defences since joining from Southampton in January 2018.
How good has Van Dijk been for Liverpool? Five key things to know…
- Virgil van Dijk signed for Liverpool in January 2018, from Southampton for a fee of £75m.
- The centre-back has been the turning point in Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side, forming part of a formidable defence.
- Van Dijk has played every minute for Liverpool in their unbeaten start to the season, helping to keep eight clean sheets.
- Carragher believes Van Dijk could potentially be Liverpool’s best signing for three decades.
- Liverpool have conceded 35 goals in Van Dijk’s 40 appearances for the club.
Liverpool have the joint-best defence in the Premier League this season, conceding just five goals from their opening 13 games.
A clean sheet against Watford last weekend saw this Liverpool side break a club record having never previously conceded as few as five goals in the first 13 games of a league campaign.
Van Dijk’s presence in defence has been key to the run, and Carragher believes the centre-back could potentially be a bigger signing for the Reds than Premier League record-breaker Mohamed Salah.
Writing in his column for the Telegraph, Carragher said: “When Liverpool signed Virgil van Dijk a year ago, I thought they had signed a good player.
“I underestimated him. Few have had such a profound and immediate influence on any Liverpool team. Since his goalscoring debut in the Merseyside derby last January he has proven one of the most instantly successful Anfield recruits of the last 30 years.
“He rates alongside Mohamed Salah, whose debut season was extraordinary, in that regard. But if Van Dijk continues as now – and Liverpool win trophies – I will go further.
“We will be talking about Van Dijk as we do John Barnes, Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness – Liverpool legends who from the moment they put on the shirt imposed themselves on the team and club to elevate everyone else.”
Liverpool are currently second in the Premier League, behind only Manchester City, having remained unbeaten in their opening 13 games.
Who is the best centre-back in the Premier League?
Aside from hailing Van Dijk’s part in Liverpool’s history, Carragher also hailed the Dutch international as the best defender in English football.
“Van Dijk is the best defender in English football, only Aymeric Laporte’s form at Manchester City’s reaching similar levels,” he added.
“Never mind his position, he has risen to become one of the best in the Premier League, full stop.
“I would rank him with David Silva, Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, Harry Kane and Salah. Early as we are in the season, Van Dijk will be challenging the familiar names for the Player of the Year come May.”
Should Van Dijk make Carragher’s Player of the Year prophecy come true, he would become the first centre-back to win the award since John Terry at the end of the 2004/05 campaign, ending a 13-season wait for another defender to be championed.
As for the Football Writers’ Player of the Year, four-time league winner Steve Nicol was the last defender to be awarded the top prize. The Liverpool legend won the award off the back of the Reds’ 1988/89 season, in which Arsenal secured a famous 2-0 win against Liverpool to secure the title on goals scored.
Van Dijk vs Laporte
Both Van Dijk and Laporte, however, have been integral to the two best defensives in the division so far, featuring heavily for their respective teams.
Averaging 1.11 blocks per 90 minutes, Van Dijk appears to be the busier of the two centre-backs, with Laporte only averaging 0.54 per 90. The Dutch centre-back has also made 6.03 clearances per 90 compared to Laporte’s 3.00.
Van Dijk is also more successful in his duels, winning 0.95 tackles per 90 and 3.96 aerial duels compared to Laporte’s 0.54 and 2.38 respectively. Van Dijk is also yet to make a defensive error, while Laporte has made two at an average of 0.15 per 90.
Where Laporte has been busier, is in interceptions, making 1.31 per 90 to Van Dijk’s 1.11.
However, the former Liverpool man did not go as far as calling Van Dijk the best defender in the world, believing Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane’s trophy haul set them above the rest.
“I have been reluctant to go as far as saying Van Dijk is the best defender in the world given Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane have won a World Cup and numerous Champions Leagues.
“What I would say is this: at this moment I would not swap Van Dijk for any other centre-back.”
The post Van Dijk is already one of Liverpool’s best signings in 30 years – Carragher appeared first on Squawka News.
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