‘Van Dijk deserved Ballon d’Or’

LIVERPOOL manager Jurgen Klopp believes Virgil van Dijk would have been a worthy winner of the Ballon d’Or but understands why Lionel Messi lifted it for a sixth time.

The Dutch captain came second to the Argentina forward despite playing a huge role as Liverpool won the Champions League last season, overcoming Messi’s Barcelona in the semifinal.

“I see it slightly different and a lot of people see it slightly different but that’s absolutely no problem,” said Klopp.

“Lionel Messi, I’ve said probably 500,000 times in my life already, is probably the best player I saw in my lifetime.

“But I cannot remember a more impressive season from a defender ever. Honestly. So it would have been right if Virg won it. I heard it was pretty close.”

Van Dijk’s effect on Liverpool is complete. It is not just how he is almost an entire defence in himself, sweeping up virtually everything that comes his way in an elegant Franco Baresi manner, but also winning every individual battle in a more combative Fabio Cannavaro way.

It is how much the sense of security he provides also frees up everything else.

It is a large reason as to why Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold can play so far forward, and why the entire attack can press and push with such abandon and intensity. They know they have that safety net in behind. They know they have

Van Dijk.

He offers a genuinely crucial psychological release for attackers. It means they don’t have to worry what’s behind, but can go full throttle ahead. His influence and effect is that farreaching

Van Dijk has genuinely given Liverpool something very different. There really isn’t a player like him, and there so many performances where he seems to actually bring together many of the qualities of many different defensive greats of the past – like Baresi, like Cannavaro, like Paul McGrath – into one complete centrehalf.

It is why he was worth so much. It is why players like him are at a premium. It is why he is so unique. – AFP/The Independent