Micah Richards now thinks ‘amazing’ Liverpool player has got worse

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Micah Richards has said that Virgil van Dijk’s standards with Liverpool have dropped ever since his ACL injury in 2020.

Speaking on the Match of the Day Top 10 Podcast, the former Manchester City defender made the claim that the Dutch international is not as good as he used to be since going his cruciate.

Van Dijk tore his ACL in against Everton in 2020, ruling the defender out for months and causing the Reds to go through a disastrous season having won the league the year before.

Three years on, Van Dijk’s status as the world’s best defender has come into question, with many now thinking that the centre-back is past his peak.

Indeed, such a claim cannot be proven, yet Richards seems to think Van Dijk’s quality has dropped. The pundit said: “His standards have dropped.

“When you do your cruciate it takes a while. Everyone is lumping on him saying that he’s lost a yard of pace, you’re going to lose a yard of pace when you do your cruciate.”

Van Dijk is one of Liverpool’s best players despite Richards’ claim

Recently lauded by Dirk Kuyt as an ‘amazing’ player, Van Dijk remains one of Liverpool’s most important figures and one of the best defenders in the world.

Whilst the Dutchman has clearly lost something since his ACL injury, such a change is hardly a shock given the nature of such a problem.

However, Van Dijk’s influence remains as strong as ever, and Liverpool would not be as good as they are if the 32-year-old is not in their squad.