Sky Sports pundit Danny Mills says Virgil van Dijk is the perfect template for the modern defender and there is no one better than him in his position in world football.
The Dutchman has not been at his absolute best as of yet this season but is among the favourites to win the Ballon d’Or for 2019 which will be announced in December.
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He featured for the Netherlands last night in their 2-1 win in Belarus, where Gini Wijnaldum netted twice (watch both of his goals, including one absolute stunner, by clicking here).
Speaking to Football Insider, Mills said: “Van Dijk is perfect. The set-up that he has, he’s strong, he’s powerful and he’s aggressive, at the right times, and then as a secondary option, he is good on the ball.
“First and foremost, he is good on the ball and people need to get back to the basics if you want to play centre-half at a top-level, and there’s no better example than Virgil van Dijk.”
Praise for Van Dijk is no shock, of course – Reds fans know exactly how good he is. He will hope to be back alongside regular partner Joel Matip, who could be back from injury soon, when the Reds line up to face Manchester United at Old Trafford in a few day’s time.