Peter Crouch heaped tons of praise on Liverpool defender Virgil Van Dijk and suggested he could be in the running for PFA Player of the Year regardless of whether his side win the Premier League.
The former Reds player shared how impressed he had been with the 27-year-old centre-back and tipped him to join the exclusive group of defenders that had won the personal accolade.
Only five defenders have ever been named PFA Player of the Year with the last defender to win it being Chelsea legend John Terry in 2005.
“I watched Van Dijk last week when Liverpool beat Wolves and he did something that made me think ‘Oh, my God!’ — it was when Adama Traore looked like he was going to open up on the touchline, having dragged Van Dijk out of position,” wrote Crouch in his column for the Daily Mail.
“Usually, a fast striker would leave you for dead but Van Dijk’s reaction was extraordinary. For a man so big and heavy to move so effortlessly alongside was remarkable and it shows why they have such a good defensive record.”
“Regardless of whether Liverpool win the title, Van Dijk could easily be PFA Player of the Year and emulate Gary Pallister (1992), Paul McGrath (1993) and John Terry (2005), the last defenders to win it. He has been that good.”
OPINION
The fact Crouch is using words like remarkable and extraordinary to describe Van Dijk tells you all you need to know about how highly he rates the Reds defender. The current Stoke City forward is right to be a certified member of Van Dijk’s fan club and he probably is not the only current footballer drooling over what the centre-back currently achieving. While it’s clear the 27-year-old is talented player, it is his consistency that should be blowing everyone away. Van Dijk has set high standards for himself ever since arriving at Anfield from Southampton, likely due to having a huge price tag to live up, and he hasn’t slipped up in the slightest. The defender oozes class and is a reliable presence at the back of Jurgen Klopp’s side which seems to improve and comfort everyone alongside him. Van Dijk has played 25 times this season across all competitions and no doubt has a fair few Man of the Match awards to show for his efforts. If Crouch is right to connect the defender with the upcoming PFA Player of the Year award, it would mean a Liverpool player would lift for the second year in a row.
