Tim Sherwood has claimed one Liverpool ace has looked ‘back to his best’ this term after ‘a bit of a sabbatical last year’.
Virgil van Dijk has been one of a number of players from Jurgen Klopp’s squad who has performed at a consistently high level this season and has resulted in the Reds continuing to fight on all four fronts.
The Anfield-based outfit find themselves five points clear at the top of the Premier League and travel to Craven Cottage tomorrow for their League Cup sem-final second leg clash with Fulham with a 2-1 lead.
Our No. 4 is expected to start once again in what could be an unchanged XI from the Liverpool side that defeated Bournemouth 4-0 at the weekend and Sherwood has heaped huge praised on the Netherlands international who was handed the armband by Klopp in the summer following the departure of Jordan Henderson.
“Van Dijk, he’s back to his best, he’s like a Rolls Royce of old, he had a bit of a sabbatical last year where he wasn’t at his best with injuries, but him and Alisson at the back, it just feels like they’re not going to concede any goals if they don’t score,” Sherwood said on Premier League Productions (via The Boot Room).
READ MORE: Alan Shearer names four Reds in his team of the week; not Mac Allister
Liverpool have conceded the fewest league goals this term (18) and the difference is stark between our defensive performances last season compared to the current campaign.
Our revamped midfield has helped significantly but the form of van Dijk cannot be ignored with the 32-year-old performing so consistently.
He’s a dominant presence in our backline and is playing with confidence again after a difficult few years following his serious knee injury which saw people question whether he’d ever return to his best.
The £75m man is arguably Klopp’s best signing as Liverpool boss and there’s still plenty more to come from the former Southampton man!
🕯️ EOTK Insider: A tribute to Alex South; a remarkable man with a special Kop moment