Virgil van Dijk says the Liverpool dressing room have given Joel Matip a new nickname off the back of his excellent performance against Chelsea.
Matip turned in a man-of-the-match display at Stamford Bridge as the Reds held on for a crucial three points under constant waves of pressure.
The display continued his run of career-best form.
Still, I’m not quite sure on the nickname.
“We call him Matop because he was that good yesterday!” Van Dijk said ahead of the FIFA Best Awards, where he took second place.
“We need everyone, that’s the message everyone knows in the team. He was outstanding, as were all the players. It was a massive win. We do it all together.”
Virgil may be the principal leader in our defence, but, in typically humble fashion, he clearly recognises the importance of his partner.
Matip has arguably just as good as Van Dijk since replacing an injured Joe Gomez in the side and has the look of a world-class centre-back right now.