Van Dijk is like Keane or Kompany on the pitch, says Neville

Virgil Van Dijk is Liverpool’s captain, often referred to as the best stopper in the world. Ahead of this weekend’s game against Manchester United, it was the Dutchman who earned praise from former United player Garry Neville. According to the former defender, the Old Trafford club needs players like Van Dijk.

Van Dijk this season

The Dutch stopper has hit 27 games in the Premier League in which Liverpool have kept 8 clean sheets. The few goals conceded is one of the reasons why Liverpool are currently in 1st place in the competition. In 29 rounds it has received only 28 goals, only Arsenal is doing better. However, no one can deny the essential role of Van Dijk.

When the Dutchman is at the mercy of the opponent, he successfully intervenes 52% of the time. He has stopped 3 times the opponent’s attack in which Van Dijk was the last defending player, which is the most in the league. In terms of blocked shots, the Dutchman is currently at number 27, which ranks him 6th in this statistic. It is important to say that defenders from teams with a lot of shots on goal can logically have a higher number.

Going on to other stats, Van Dijk has won 115 header duels. Only Everton striker Calwert-Lewin is ahead of him. Czech midfielder Tomas Soucek is 5th in this statistic, having already won 97 aerial duels. Van Dijk has also lost 23 aerial duels.

The Dutchman, especially on the pitch, is the leader of the team. He successfully manages the players around him, whether it be the attacking backs Alexander-Arnold and Robertson or his teammates at fullback. Van Dijk makes 21-year-old Jarell Quansah look like a player seasoned by a lot of tough and important games.

Praise from Neville

“We always say that you don’t find players like Roy Keane, Vincent Kompany or John Terry these days. Liverpool have one of those. If you look at Virgil Van Dijk’s performances this season, he is a huge personality on the pitch,” said the former Manchester United player.

Garry Neville continued with words of praise as he described Van Dijk as a player Manchester United need. The Red Devils need a strong personality on the pitch that will unite them on the pitch, not divide them. The comment is most likely a reference to Bruno Fernandes, who is more concerned with refereeing than his team.

United have come to expect similar qualities to van Dijk from Varane, who is often plagued by injuries and does not appear to be a strong personality on the pitch. “I don’t think he will ever be that kind of player. Varane defends brilliantly in the penalty area, wins duels but can’t influence his teammates. At Real Madrid he had Sergio Ramos next to him, who was in charge,” Neville added.

Source: Premier League, The Mirror