Empire of the Kop
·19 February 2022
NBA star shares honest Virgil van Dijk verdict online: ‘If you know you know’

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Yahoo sportsEmpire of the Kop
·19 February 2022
Virgil van Dijk stands out as one Liverpool’s most transformative signings alongside Alisson Becker after Philippe Coutinho made way to Barcelona in a big-money move.
Though certainly appreciated domestically in the English top-flight, his talents have also caught the wandering eyes of those beyond football, with Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler describing the Dutchman as ‘legendary’ in an Instragam post (via @Watch_LFC on Twitter).
The former Southampton ace was a huge miss for Jurgen Klopp’s men last term, with the backline struggling to maintain the kind of defensive consistency and calm the No.4 regularly inspired.
Whilst we didn’t quite get the peak Van Dijk we’d hoped instantly back from injury – and understandably so given its severity – it’s telling of our centre-half’s sheer quality that he still arguably came across as the leading centre-back in the league despite needing time to find his way back to the peak of his powers.
As many a Red will be more than familiar with, of course, rare is the occasion when the 30-year-old needs to go up a gear to keep things settled at the back, with the defender often appearing to take things at a more than leisurely pace.
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