Former Liverpool captain Mark Wright has heaped praise on Reds centre half Virgil van Dijk, saying he’s so good he ‘stands out like a sore thumb’.
The 27-year-old has made a humongous impact since swapping Southampton for Merseyside in January 2018, and Wright believes he is as good as he gets.
“The biggest thing that has impressed me is what I see from him when the ball is at the other end of the pitch,” he told Sky Sports. “He dictates. He makes sure people fill those pockets where previously Liverpool were being hurt on the counter-attack. He makes sure others are aware.
“It’s that organisation of others that has made the biggest difference because there aren’t a lot of leaders around but he can do that. Nobody is going to argue with him because Virgil is the kingpin. Name the top five in the Premier League and I think you would struggle to come up with five. Virgil stands out like a sore thumb, to be honest with you.”
OPINION
In terms of defenders in world football, let alone just the Premier League, Van Dijk does indeed stick out like a sore thumb. He’s so good, so composed, so much of a leader, that it’s impossible to ignore him. As Wright says, it’s the effect he has on others and when he’s not necessarily defending that is the most impressive thing about him. Like Wright explains, he’s constantly organising, telling his teammates where to go and what to do. He doesn’t boss them around, but he’s authoritative and you can tell that they respect what he says. He is indeed Liverpool’s kingpin, that’s a good way of putting it. Jordan Henderson is the captain, and rightfully so because he is a magnificent leader in his own right, but in terms of leading by example there’s no one better than the imperious Dutchman. And the fact he’s still just 27 means that he might not even have reached his peak yet. That’s a salivating thought for the Reds supporters and make no mistake.
