Virgil van Dijk was strangely awarded Man of the Match in Liverpool’s pre-season friendly against Borussia Dortmund on the basis of his superior age.
The Dutchman received the recognition at the expense of Dortmund’s 19-year-old Christian Pulisic, who couldn’t be given the Heineken-sponsored award due to America’s legal drinking age of 21.
Pulisic emerged as a game-changer after his half-time introduction, scoring twice and creating a third to earn Dortmund a late win in defiance of Liverpool’s dominance.
The USA international treated fans in his home nation to the kind of sparkling display that has warranted wide-spread interest in his services across Europe.
“Virgil van Dijk has been awarded Man of the Match. Christian Pulisic was not allowed to receive the award as it’s sponsored by Heineken and he is not 21 yet.” https://t.co/RFgGnS9J2X
— Stefan Buczko (@StefanBuczko) July 22, 2018
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Van Dijk strolled to a formidable opening half for the Reds, asserting a familiar supremacy at the back and breaking the deadlock with a towering header at the other end of the pitch.
Whilst the Dutchman teased a mid-season form at the heart of Liverpool’s defence, Pulisic evidenced his rising valuation for interested clubs.
Jurgen Klopp is an avid admirer of the teenager and recently insisted there is a future in the Premier League waiting for him if he wants it.
The Reds’ boss famously had an £11million bid for Pulisic rejected back in 2016 and has since been regularly linked with a renewed approach for him.