When queried about the most challenging adversaries he’s encountered, Liverpool’s skipper Virgil van Dijk omitted Cristiano Ronaldo from his list.
Renowned as a top-tier defender, Virgil van Dijk is well-versed in contending with elite forwards.
- Cole Palmer insulted by Chelsea team-mate after scoring hat-trick vs Man Utd
- Cristiano Ronaldo sends cheeky message moments after Man Utd lose at Chelsea
- Theo Walcott lists four games that will be Liverpool’s ‘downfall’ in league title race
Van Dijk, a pivotal figure for Liverpool, was acquired from Southampton in January 2018 for a then-record-breaking £75 million transfer fee for a defender.
In his tenure with the club, Van Dijk has clinched five significant titles, including the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2020.
The Dutch international has faced off against the world’s premier attackers in both club and international play. However, when prompted to identify his most formidable foes, he overlooked Cristiano Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d’Or recipient.
Van Dijk’s selection included Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, Sergio Aguero, and Olivier Giroud.
During his appearance on the Rest is Football podcast, hosted by Gary Lineker and Micah Richards, Van Dijk delved into his reasons for choosing Haaland and Aguero, the latter being Haaland’s predecessor at Manchester City.
“I would say Erling Haaland is a very difficult opponent, [he is] very strong, a modern day striker,” Van Dijk said.
“It’s the directness. If you give them an inch then they will punish you.
“It’s the same with Aguero. He didn’t score many goals against us, but since I played against him when I was at Southampton he was always a handful, he could finish with his left or right, you always had to be at your best.
“I remember one goal he scored against us in 2018-19, he came in front of Dejan Lovren from a cross and finished it so quickly.”
The inclusion of Olivier Giroud among the toughest opponents may raise eyebrows among supporters, but Van Dijk has his reasons for holding the ex-Arsenal and Chelsea forward in such esteem.
“[He was] a link-up player, together at the time with [Eden] Hazard, it was always Hazard giving him the flick and he would hold up the ball,” he said.
“He also scored good goals against me. I always felt like he wasn’t going to score, but he managed to score.”
