DRIVE... NOW HE’S A ROLLS-ROYCE’

believe they can be great players as well, and what he has done at Liverpool is steady the ship.

“He has made that team a hard side to beat and that is due to his work rate. It’s the drive in him, more than anything – you look at him and feel confident.

“Only one person in the Premier League has beaten him in a one-on-one in 75-odd games.

“So it’s that confidence and belief which he puts in you that oozes through the team.”

Brown got a close-up view of Van Dijk’s immense talent every working day between 2013 and 2015 and he reckons the 28-year-old was a class act whatever position he ended up playing in training.

Brown added: “He could have been a No.10, a No.6… but as a centre-half he is so good.

“He was one of those you put that trust in, that belief.

“He comes forward with the ball and you know he’s not going to lose it, he’s so strong he’s going to cruise through.

“Then he’d hit free-kicks and score for us. So he has got everything – he’s great in the air, he’s strong, physical and he’s quick.

“It’s everything that everyone wants as a defender – and Liverpool are lucky enough to have him.”

Shaky defence had long been Liverpool’s key problem before the arrival of Van Dijk.

But Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren are now looking like different players for having the experience of playing alongside the Dutch star.

Brown said: “Virgil reads the game so well, and he understands it. His first thought is, ‘If he makes a mistake, I can get there’, and he has the pace to do it.

“He is a step ahead of the game and that’s what makes him a top-quality defender.

“He knows when to squeeze, he knows when he should sit off, and when to go and win a battle.

“You can’t win them all... but most of the time Virgil does.”

Scott Brown was speaking as part of Paddy Power’s ongoing anti-homophobia football campaign, in partnership with GAY TIMES.