‘A spectacular physical presence’ – Pau Cubarsi names Liverpool star as the center-back he likes to watch | OneFootball

After making his way to the first team in the last season under Xavi Hernandez, Pau Cubarsi has continued on his incredible growth trajectory, and this season, under Hansi Flick, is one of the fixed starters in this FC Barcelona team, despite having turned 18 years of age only a few weeks ago.

His tender years have not really been noticeable on the pitch, as he has been putting in very composed performances that can rival those from some of the more experienced and mature defenders in the game.

He might have been taking extra note of how some of the best defenders in the world play, as he himself identified one particular defender whom he watches carefully while appearing in an interview with SPORT.

When asked if he watches any other center-backs, the young Barcelona defender commented:

“Yes, I like watching the Premier League, and I pay a lot of attention to Van Dijk.”

The interviewer followed up on this question by asking Cubarsi about some specific characteristics of Van Dijk that he does not have, to which he replied:

“A spectacular physical presence, one-on-one defending, leadership… Honestly, I pay a lot of attention to him.”

Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images

There is no doubt that Virgil van Dijk has established himself as one of the most competent defenders in the world in the last few years, especially since his move to Liverpool. He has helped the Reds win a UEFA Champions League and Premier League title, in addition to several other Cup titles.

Individually, he won the UEFA Player of the Year award in 2019, which is quite a notable achievement keeping in view he is a centre-back. He was also the Premier League Player of the Year in that year.

“Hopefully, Pau Cubarsi, who recently renewed his contract with Barcelona until 2029, will learn a lot from such an accomplished idol and go on to have an even more successful career in the coming years.