Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has explained that calling Liverpool central defender Virgil Van Dijk the best defender in the world would be unfair towards other elite defenders in the European continent.
Liverpool currently sits at the top of the Premier League table at the moment and are six points ahead of 2nd placed Manchester City. The Reds tasted success on the continental stage when they won the Champions League title in the summer after beating Tottenham Hotspur in the final back in June.
Liverpool broke the bank to sign Virgil Van Dijk back in January 2018 from Southampton when they splashed out £75 million for the Dutchman making him the most expensive defender at the time. Van Dijk has made the Liverpool defense rock solid ever since his arrival at Anfield.
Van Dijk was instrumental for Liverpool winning the Champions League and has made Klopp’s team genuine title contenders. The 28-year-old was awarded the PFA’s Player of the Year Award and also won the Men’s UEFA Player Of The Year award due to his impactful performances beating Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to the honor.
But despite the accolades and praise that Van Dijk has received over the past two years or so since joining Liverpool, former Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has admitted that it would be unfair for other defenders in Europe calling the Liverpool star the best defenders in the world.
The Special one spoke on Sky Sports and said that Van Dijk is the best defender in England but not the best one in Europe as he said, “That would be unfair to some fantastic central defenders, but in English football for sure, he has everything”. Mourinho also stated that it is almost impossible to find a weakness in his game, “It’s almost impossible to find a weakness in his game.”
