Ray Parlour heaped praise on Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk while stating what Manchester United lack in his opinion.
The former Premier League midfielder shared that he thought the 27-year-old Reds centre-back had not only improved Jurgen Klopp’s side defensively but that he had directly improved Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson.
Parlour claimed that Man United needed to look at what happened when Liverpool signed Van Dijk as it showed how important a centre-back who is a real leader could prove to be.
“Look what happened to Liverpool when they got Van Dijk, they improved at the back,” said Parlour on talkSPORT (7:52am, Monday June 17th).
“Not just Van Dijk, they improved at the back, he improved the players around him, Trent Alexander-Arnold stepped up, Robertson got better.
“So I think that centre-half position, a real leader in there as well, and that’s what they (Man United) are really lacking at the moment.”
OPINION
Parlour may be associated with Arsenal but Liverpool fans will surely love his latest remarks. Not only is the retired midfielder a fan of Van Dijk and giving him the praise he deserves, but he does it why highlighting Man United’s shortcomings. Liverpool and Manchester United’s storied rivalry is well-known so many Reds supporters will no doubt love their club being used as an example as how Man United should conduct business. It’s fair to say also that some Man United fans may even agree with Parlour’s praise of Van Dijk as there’s no denying how the Liverpool defender has transformed Klopp’s team for the better. The 27-year-old joined the Reds from Southampton in January 2018 and has made 72 appearances for the club so far. Van Dijk has been a calm and reassuring presence at the back and has even managed to get seven goals to his name in order to show he can be a threat in the box due to his physical stature. While the Reds didn’t win the Premier League in their latest campaign, you do feel the likes of Van Dijk helped them push Manchester City all the way to the limit.
