It seems mad for any pundit to come out and admit they’ve underestimated Virgil van Dijk.
Credit where credit’s due with Ally McCoist, however, the Scot has never been afraid of speaking his mind.
The former Rangers hero has now claimed that the Liverpool defender is back to his best after a painful battle with injury.
“Right now, he is back to where he was before his injury. I was really concerned because he came back, he was looking good and he was looking good,” the 61-year-old told talkSPORT (via HITC). “But I didn’t think he would reach the level that he was at before the injury and I think he is there now.”
Football doesn’t get much better when it comes to betting sports, and those who’ve been backing Liverpool all the way this term could be set to win big in 2023/24. The Merseysiders have kicked off a potential silverware haul this season with the Carabao Cup and remain in with a shout of securing the remaining three on the table in the FA Cup, Europa League and Premier League title.
Assuming that Van Dijk can keep fit for the remainder of the campaign, you’d be hard-pressed to bet against Jurgen Klopp’s apparently indomitable Reds!
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READ MORE: Richard Hughes could have immediate say on 32-year-old Liverpool player’s future
What happened to Virgil van Dijk?
Even though we’re delighted to have our No.4 back to his very best, we’re still inclined to never forgive Jordan Pickford for his frankly heinous actions.
The Everton goalkeeper infamously wiped out the Dutch international with a horror challenge during Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with the Blues in the 2020/21 season.
The incident attracted much criticism given Michael Oliver not only failed to penalise the challenge but also refused to send off the Everton goalkeeper.
Resulting anterior cruciate ligament damage meant the former Southampton star was forced to undergo surgery on his knee
Since that point, Van Dijk has been forced to endure a ceaseless barrage of criticism over his performances, with many a critic keen to point out that he hasn’t quite been the same since 2020.
Fast forward to the 2023/24 season and there can be absolutely no doubt over the centre-back’s prowess in the Premier League and worldwide.
What next for Van Dijk?
The Dutchman is in the form of his life, one could argue, but there are questions remaining over the next stage of his career.
A contract set to expire in the summer of 2025 means that Liverpool now must actively consider what kind of future Van Dijk has at the club.
Whilst it’s not an example that will suit every player, we could argue that Chelsea’s Thiago Silva (39) has paved the way for what clubs can expect from top-class centre-halves.
We’re not prepared to guarantee that our skipper will still be capable of making an impact in the tail end of his 30s, but he’s far from finished at 32.
Get the pen and paper out, Liverpool – it’s absolutely the right decision.
Michael Oliver is supposed to be the pick of the bunch. I would hate to think what scraping the barrel is then!
He missed a whopper against Dickford and he missed a whopper against Doku.
If he is the best referee in the premiership then I would hate to think what the worst is.