Virgil van Dijk stands out as one Liverpool’s most transformative signings alongside Alisson Becker after Philippe Coutinho made way to Barcelona in a big-money move.
Though certainly appreciated domestically in the English top-flight, his talents have also caught the wandering eyes of those beyond football, with Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler describing the Dutchman as ‘legendary’ in an Instragam post (via @Watch_LFC on Twitter).
Jimmy Butler pushing that Van Dijk propaganda on this fine Friday night 😎 pic.twitter.com/X9jCkiMjyO
— Watch LFC (@Watch_LFC) February 18, 2022
The former Southampton ace was a huge miss for Jurgen Klopp’s men last term, with the backline struggling to maintain the kind of defensive consistency and calm the No.4 regularly inspired.
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Whilst we didn’t quite get the peak Van Dijk we’d hoped instantly back from injury – and understandably so given its severity – it’s telling of our centre-half’s sheer quality that he still arguably came across as the leading centre-back in the league despite needing time to find his way back to the peak of his powers.
As many a Red will be more than familiar with, of course, rare is the occasion when the 30-year-old needs to go up a gear to keep things settled at the back, with the defender often appearing to take things at a more than leisurely pace.
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