Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has revealed which current centre-back he believes to be better than Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk.
The Reds are still in the hunt for their first English top-flight title in 29 years with just reigning champions Manchester City standing in their way.
How good is Van Dijk? Five things you need to know…
- Liverpool signed Van Dijk for £75m from Southampton in the January transfer window of 2018.
- Since then, the Dutchman has made 58 appearances for the Reds, scoring four goals.
- The Reds have let in the fewest goals (17) in the Premier League this season.
- Van Dijk has missed just 35 minutes of Premier League football this season.
- Jurgen Klopp’s side are still competing in both the Premier League and Champions League, where they face Bayern Munich this week.
Speaking to reporters, Ferdinand was discussing whether he thought the Liverpool centre-back was the best defender on the planet at this very minute.
Admitting that Van Dijk is right up there, he revealed that his number one choice is Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos, which will not go down too well with Liverpool supporters.
Citing his excellent trophy-haul and big-game performances, Ferdinand said: “Ramos, when the big games come up, the trophies are there to be won, he’s normally standing there with his sleeves rolled up.
“He is not being shifted at the moment.
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“To be considered the best in the world, you have got to win stuff as well. You cannot just play well for your team and sit there as runner-up or coming third or fourth.
“That’s why, when people talk about Player of the Year and you see they haven’t won anything but they are the best player, I am thinking: ‘How? You haven’t influenced a team to win things.’
“You need to be part of a team that is winning to be considered like that.
“Virgil is a fantastic player, potentially the best in the world but, right now, no. And I’d think he would agree.
“Winning is an essential part of winning personal accolades. You have to win.
“If Liverpool win the league it’s legit, but it would feel odd if he is the best player and they have come second or third.”
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Marching towards glory?
With just three games left this month in all competitions, Liverpool have three huge opportunities to prove to both themselves and everyone else that they are worthy of being where they want to be.
This week, they face Bundesliga and European giants Bayern Munich on German soil following their 0-0 draw in the first leg of the Champions League round-of-16.
A win would see them progress to the quarter-finals but would also make people really sit up and notice them as real contenders for the competition this season.
In the Premier League, an away match against struggling Fulham presents a vital opportunity to get another three points on the board as they continue to hunt down Manchester City.
At the end of the month, they face current third-place side Tottenham at Anfield in a massive match that could really define their season one way or another.
The post Ex-Man Utd star Rio Ferdinand picks out one defender better than Virgil van Dijk appeared first on Squawka News.
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