DBasia.news – Barcelona captain, Lionel Messi, praised Virgil van Dijk ahead of Manchester United’s match at Liverpool at Old Trafford stadium on Sunday (10/20).
“Van Dijk is a defender who knows how to judge time and wait for the right moment to duel with the attackers. He is very fast and big, but he has a lot of agility with his height,” said Messi at Soccerway.
Van Dijk left Southampton and joined Liverpool in January 2018 with a transfer of 75 million pounds sterling (around Rp 1.3 trillion). That value makes Van Dijk the world’s most expensive defender.
His arrival also made Liverpool’s defense stronger. He successfully brought the Reds Champions League champions last season. The 27-year-old player is staying as the best defender in the world today.
According to Messi, Van Dijk does have special abilities. The tough defender always knows the right time to stop the opponent.
“He was fast because of his great pace, and he was impressive in defense and attack because he scored a lot of goals,” Messi said.
Van Dijk himself has defended Liverpool in 12 matches in all competitions this season. He also contributed one goal and one assist.