OPINION
This footage from BT Sport Football resurfaced once again, via the Anfield Watch Twitter account on Tuesday night. It shows former Premier League winner Chris Sutton, presumably a year or two ago, calling Liverpool centre back Virgil van Dijk the third best player in the world behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. It’s led to several Reds supporters praising the ex England international for his prescience and his ability to get ahead of the squalling masses. You have to say that, whenever this original footage is from, Sutton absolutely nailed this particular take. Plenty of fans have commented that he even got his comment slightly wrong – according to Ballon d’Or the Dutchman is the second best player in the world, not the third! Overall, though, it’s Messi and Ronaldo and then everybody else. However, Van Dijk is in the conversation for that second spot alongside people like Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne.
Live4Liverpool has rounded up some of the best tweets below.
@chris_sutton73 was wrong! Van Dijk is the 2nd best player in the world, no 3rd! ?
— Ijam Alcantara (@IjamKloppo) December 3, 2019
I think Sutton is trying to articulate to these buffoons that people need to use the eye test more than just numbers, to realise how good VVD really is.
— Nexus event Variant #69. (@MCU_anomaly) December 4, 2019
Is this old?? Because they are talking like Bonucci, Thiago Silva etc are better than him. Must be from like 1-2 years ago this
— Martin (@lfc19827) December 3, 2019
— Marcus Robinson (@M_Robinson09) December 3, 2019
@Phili_Mcc88 our bai knew
— conor mcwilliams (@conor1995) December 3, 2019
https://twitter.com/baggeo_barry/status/1201988371020734465
https://twitter.com/KloppRevxlution/status/1202006064729907201
