Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker has heaped praise on teammate Virgil van Dijk, claiming that the Dutchman is “something special”.
The Brazilian stopper signed for the Reds last summer, just a few months after van Dijk, and between them they helped shore up a defensive line that conceded just 22 goals in the league last season – the lowest total in the top flight.
And speaking to the club’s official website, Alisson was quick to praise his colleague.
He said: “He [van Dijk] gives a lot of confidence for the team and the players,” Alisson said.
“When you have Virgil van Dijk – the giant – on the pitch, maybe it scares the opposition. For me, he is special.
“I have great defenders [in front of me] – Joel, Joe Gomez, Dejan. Everyone did a great job this season. But Virgil has something special, he is the big man.”
OPINION
What can you say about Virgil van Dijk that hasn’t been said already? Over the course of the last 18 months he has transformed himself, and Liverpool for that matter, into one of the most imperious forces in the European game, and he shows no sign of slowing down any time soon. It would be naive to argue that van Dijk was the sole cause of Liverpool’s defensive transformation last term, but certainly, he played a monstrous part in helping the Reds plug some of the gaps that have plagued them for years. It’s hard to think of a single signing that has had such a marked impact on a side as his during the Premier League era, and it is no exaggeration to argue that he must be one of the frontrunners for this year’s Ballon d’Or. For him to lift that accolade would be truly magnificent, and wholly deserved.
