Chris Wood names Van Dijk and one other surprise Liverpool player as his most difficult opponents | OneFootball

Virgil van Dijk is undoubtedly one of the greatest defenders the Premier League has ever seen, though Chris Wood has ranked him alongside another ex-Red.

Speaking on Optus Sport, the New Zealand international was asked to name his most difficult opponents and stated: “I always say Van Dijk at the moment he’s probably the best defender you’ll come up against, but Skrtel at Liverpool back in the day.

“He was one of the defenders back in the day who just never let you rest, he was always pinching you and prodding you and getting on your nerves.

“I think he put strikers off a bit in a sense, so yeah, he was one of the tougher ones.”

We’re used to hearing that our captain is the best around but when it comes to Martin Skrtel, he certainly doesn’t receive the same level of praise.

Martin Skrtel spent nine seasons at Liverpool from 2008-2016

(Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

The Slovakian made over 300 appearances for the Reds in nine seasons at Anfield, where he played under five different managers in this time.

An uncompromising defender, it’s no surprise that a battle with the 6′ 3″ striker who is currently in fine form with Nottingham Forest is where he thrived.

It’s somewhat ironic that last season saw the now 40-year-old praise our current No.4 for getting back to his best after his long-term knee injury, that the pair have been brought together again.

Arne Slot joined in crediting the performance level of our skipper of late too and it’s clear that he has many fans both within and outside of the club.

You can watch Wood’s comments on Van Dijk and Skrtel via @optussport on TikTok:

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