Jurgen Klopp claims one Liverpool player is the best in the world in his position

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Jurgen Klopp has claimed that Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk is the best defender in the world.

After a disappointing season last year, Van Dijk has roared back to form in 2023/24. Having been handed the Liverpool captaincy, the Dutchman looks completely revitalised.

Van Dijk’s latest performance saw him bury his first goal of the season – a well struck volley against Sheffield United. And asked about his skipper’s recent form during his press conference today, Klopp backed Virgil as the best on the planet.

“Virg is the best defender in the world,” gushed the Liverpool boss. “Did he have lesser good spells? Yes. But show me one [player] who never had, I’d be really happy to meet him.

“How we all are, we look back at the Rio Ferdinand’s or Jaap Stam’s or Sami Hyypia’s. Were they always perfect? Nobody was and nobody will be. Virg in this shape for us is super, super, super important.”

Klopp honours Van Dijk

There’s an argument that just at this moment, Van Dijk is Liverpool’s most important player.

With Alisson Becker still just about injured, his role in organising the back-line has taken on even greater significance.

Stand-in goalie Caoimhin Kelleher has thanked the 32-year-old for his help over recent games. Without the captain marshalling the defence, Kelleher’s job would have been even more difficult.

Along with Alisson, Van Dijk has also had to watch as centre-back partner Joel Matip went down with injury recently.

As any good captain should, the Netherlands international has already publicly voiced his support of Matip. But that also means that Van Dijk himself has just become even more important again.

Thankfully, not only does Virgil accept this increase in responsibility, he seems to actively embrace it.

Ever since taking over the captaincy from Jordan Henderson, the Reds’ No.4 seems to see the club in a new light. There have even been suggestions that the former Southampton man wants to spend the rest of his career at Anfield.

This time last year, some may not have envisaged that career lasting all that much longer. But as Virgil silences more and more doubters, he looks like he could play for another five or more years.

In his absence, no one has really convincingly stood up to take the crown from him. So, from our point of view, it’s safe to say that once again, Virgil van Dijk is the best defender in the world.