Virgil van Dijk: Don’t be surprised if the defender joins Barcelona or Real Madrid if Liverpool fail to win the Premier League
Liverpool may have been held to a goalless draw by neighbours Everton, but once again Virgil van Dijk was the most impressive player on the pitch.Almost every attack from the Toffees was thwarted by the defender and ensured Liverpool kept a fourth consecutive clean sheet in the Premier League.
6Van Dijk in action against EvertonIt is the latest in a long line of excellent displays from Liverpool’s main defender and we take a look at what makes Van Dijk so good.
What do Robert Lewandowski, Marcus Rashford, Romelu Lukaku, Joshua King, Troy Deeney, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Cenk Tosun all have in common?Yes, they are all strikers, but their playing position is not the only thing they share.In the past five matches, each man, at one point in time, has come up against Van Dijk. None have managed to get beyond him.Against Everton on Sunday, Liverpool kept their 17th clean sheet of the season. Unsurprisingly, Van Dijk was named Man of the Match.“Van Dijk’s performance today was unbelievable,” Jamie Carragher told Sky Sports.
6The Dutchman dominated on Sunday“He looks like a man playing in a kids’ game. He’s playing against some of the top players in European football in the Premier League, but everything is so easy.“You actually feel like he’s not getting tested enough. You still feel like there are more gears for him to go into.”This is by no means a way to deride his opponents, its just Van Dijk makes defending look simple, in a classy, artistic way, regardless of who he is up against – the best do that.The atmosphere inside Goodison Park for the 233rd Merseyside derby was a given. Air raid sirens rung around the stadium pre-match, before their traditional anthem of Z Cars greeted both teams.Its purpose was to intimidate and rattle their neighbours.It worked. Liverpool looked ruffled; the cutting edge they had displayed in the 5-0 midweek thrashing over Watford was absent. Mohamed Salah was the main culprit.
6Van Dijk has made Liverpool’s defence solidWhile the pace was frantic and his forwards were rushed, guilty of making poor decisions, Van Dijk, as ever, was a figure of calm.Unmoved by Evertons attempts to threaten, the Dutchman dominated aerially and on the ground. Calvert-Lewin and then Tosun failed to disrupt his rhythm.While he may be Jurgen Klopps third-choice for captain behind Jordan Henderson and James Milner, Van Dijk is undoubtedly a leader, not the vocal kind, but one whose example will be followed through his actions, his laid-back attitude can sometimes mask a quiet confidence.Groningens reserve team coach Dick Lukkien recalled Van Dijk stating his eventual goal was to play for Barcelona.I have confidence in myself and I know what I can do, he said.Gerard Pique was his role model too; he cited his abilities as a footballing defender. This was said only after making his debut for the club a year earlier.
6Van Dijk impressed in two seasons at CelticHis progress was monitored by a number of European sides, but in the end, Celtic won the race. There, Van Dijk took his and the Scottish sides game to another level, he was named their player of the year in 2013/14.Again his stay was brief, two years exactly, Celtic had acted as the perfect platform to springboard him to the Premier League.He had to move on, and he left with everyones blessings, he says.I truly felt Southampton was just another stepping stone, and didnt think for one minute that hed stay for four or five years, said former team-mate Kris Commons.Im thinking Real Madrid or Barcelona could be next, he added.I rate him alongside Sergio Ramos. Liverpool is a massive club, but in terms of getting players, Madrid and Bara are above them.
6Van Dijk wuld not look out of place if he joined Real MadridSuch claims could have once been met with scepticism. Eyebrows were raised with curiosity when Liverpool made him the most expensive defender ever in January 2018 at a cost of 75million.A year on and the figure is considered a bargain, Van Dijk has made a notable difference to Liverpool, played in a Champions League final and is captain of his country.His understanding of the game and technical gifts are a throwback to the Dutch playing centre-backs from the heralded era of Total Football in the 1970s.At 27, Van Dijk is entering his prime years as a defender. Fabio Cannavaro was 32 when he won the World Cup and then named FIFA World Player of the Year. His performances earned him a move to Real Madrid.While Van Dijk does not boast a trophy cabinet quite like the Italian, it is not inconceivable to imagine him smiling and waving to supporters as he does kick-ups, before accurately booting the ball into the stands, at those in the Bernabeu, lucky enough to have caught a glimpse of their new defender dressed in the famous white kit.
6Could Van Dijk leave if Liverpool failed to win the league?Ramos is 33 later this month and while he is undeniably a club legend, his performances have been indifferent this season, the Panenka penalties a new addition, the controversy not.Van Dijk marshalling the Real defence alongside Raphael Varane at some point in the future would certainly be an impressive combination.His idol Pique put in a defensive masterclass alongside the equally impressive Clement Lenglet for Barcelona on Saturday night in El Clasico.Van Dijks bold prediction several years earlier may well prove accurate further down the line.His trajectory to the top has been strategic, well planned. History has shown he usually spends two years or so at a club before moving on and moving up. Each time the transition has been effortless.Dont be surprised if that continues.
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