‘He’s the best centre-half of all time’ – Michael Owen hails Virgil van Dijk after Liverpool overcome Villarreal

ByJames Hilsum

Published 04/05/2022 at 11:27 GMT

Virgil van Dijk arrived at Liverpool from Southampton in January 2018 for £75 million – a world record deal for a defender. He has since gone on to win the Premier League, Champions League, League Cup, World Club Cup and Super Cup at Anfield. The Dutchman also won two Scottish Premiership titles with Celtic, and won the UEFA Best Player in Europe award in 2019.

Michael Owen waxed lyrical about Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk and said the Dutchman is the "best centre-half of all time".

The Reds secured a place in the Champions League final for the third time in five seasons with a 3-2 win over Villarreal on Tuesday.

Rio Ferdinand made the claim that Van Dijk is the best centre-back on the planet right now, before Owen responded with the even bolder statement.

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He said: “Well, I'd go further. I think he's the best centre-half of all time.

“He probably scored a few more goals, not much, but we're talking about the greatest here.

“As I've said, Rio was the best centre-half I ever played with. But with Van Dijk, as a centre-forward I look at him and think: what do you do against him?

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“He's bigger than everyone, he's faster than everyone, he's stronger than everyone, he's brilliant on the ball, he scores goals. I've never seen anything like it.

“The only thing that goes against Van Dijk at the moment – and I stress, at the moment – is his winners' medals. He's only won one Premier League and one Champions League.

“People like Rio and [Paolo] Maldini and [Franco] Baresi and people like that who you might consider the greatest, they've all got numerous. So that's the only thing that goes against him.

“But as a one off, I look at him and think: how can you get any better than that?”

Virgil van Dijk lifts the Champions League trophy.

Image credit: Getty Images

Van Dijk arrived at Liverpool from Southampton in January 2018 for £75 million – a world record deal for a defender.

He has since gone on to win the Premier League, Champions League, League Cup, World Club Cup and Super Cup at Anfield.

The Dutchman also won two Scottish Premiership titles with Celtic, and won the UEFA Best Player in Europe award in 2019.

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