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.
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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.