AC Milan legend Franco Baresi has hailed Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk as the best defender in the world admitting that the Reds have found a “leader” who can add “quality, character and strength” to their outlet as a whole.
Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk has been widely considered as the finest exponent of his position on the pitch in modern football.
Over the past few seasons, Van Dijk has been the recipient of many prestigious awards including being named UEFA Player of the Year for 2019 before going on to finish second behind only Barcelona captain Lionel Messi in the hunt for the Ballon d’Or.
The former Southampton defenders’ arrival at Anfield initially raised eyebrows considering his hefty price tag of £75 million making him the worlds most expensive defender in January 2018. However, since joining Liverpool, the Merseyside giants have been repaid with the Champions League, UEFA Super and Club World Cup due to the impressive knitting at the Liverpool backline. Most of the commendation deserves to go to the 28-year-old Van Dijk who has marshalled and upgraded the spine of the team.
AC Milan legend Franco Baresi knows what it’s like to play as a centre back and did so for 20 years at the San Siro. Baresi also believes that Van Dijk has been imperative towards changing the way football has been perceived for his outstanding displays for Liverpool. While speaking to FIFA the 60-year-old former Rossoneri defender said, “Football has changed so much in the last 15 to 20 years, not just on the pitch but in how it’s seen, access to information and the role of social media and all that. I think the way in which defenders are seen has also changed over the years. Real football fans know how important defenders are and they appreciate them.”
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Baresi then explained why he felt Van Dijk has been one of the great modern-day defenders due to his phenomenal impact on Premier League side Liverpool due to the character of the Dutchman, “If I had to name names, then the one who really stands out is Virgil van Dijk, who’s shown the quality, character and strength that a defender needs to have to be a successful leader of a team like Liverpool.”
