Chris Waddle heaped praise on Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk ahead of Liverpool taking on Napoli on Tuesday evening.
The BBC pundit described the centre-back as an unbelievable signing who has been top draw since joining from Southampton before proceeding to credit Alisson Becker with helping the Reds improve defensively as well.
“I think Van Dijk has been an unbelievable signing as he has been top draw since he has come, and the goalkeeper give him credit as he has been top class as well,” said Waddle on BBC Radio 5 Live (Tuesday, December 11 19:29).
Van Dijk arrived at Anfield in January 2018 after the Reds agreed a deal with the Saints worth £75million (Source: BBC Sport), which is the highest fee ever paid for defender.
OPINION
Will there be anyone who will argue with Waddles’ assessment? Surely not. The Reds caused a stir when they splashed the cash on Van Dijk but no one would question their decision to do so with hindsight. Since arriving at Anfield, Van Dijk has made the Reds look significantly better at the back as he is a commanding presence who consistently delivers the goods. Given that the centre-back is just 27-years-old, you can imagine him being a rock at the back for Jurgen Klopp for many seasons to come. Also while Waddle didn’t mention him, Van Dijk looks even better this since compared to the second half of his 2017/18 campaign as he seems to have found his ideal defensive partner in the former of Joe Gomez. The 21-year-old centre-back seems to complement Van Dijk perfectly and the Reds look very secure at the back as of a result. It’s just a shame that Gomez is currently set for a spell on the sidelines due to injury.
