Liverpool could be heading into their final season with Virgil van Dijk in the side on Saturday.
The Reds kick-off their Premier League season on what is a big day for the club. The post-Jurgen Klopp era is set to officially begin.
But as well as it being a new dawn under Arne Slot, there is still a chance that this season represents the final chapter of what has been an illustrious Liverpool career for Van Dijk.
As things stand, the 33-year-old is set to depart Anfield at the end of the current campaign. The longer things go on without any positive contractual updates, the more likely that feels.
Van Dijk has been the best defender in the world throughout much of his Liverpool career. And according to legendary centre-back Jaap Stam, the Reds captain could even go down as one of the best ever.
Virgil van Dijk or Rio Ferdinand
If there’s one man who should know a good defender when he sees one, it’s Stam. The Dutchman played alongside greats such as Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Nesta across an impressive career.
Common knowledge puts Stam as being one of the greatest centre-backs in Premier League history, despite playing just three seasons in the division.
For many people, that is also a debate that Van Dijk finds himself firmly in. Ask Liverpool supporters, and they’ll tell you their captain is right up there with the best of the best.
One group of fans who like to hotly refute that are Man United’s. Supporters of the Reds’ great rivals usually cite all three of Stam, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic as being superior to Virgil.
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However, according to Stam himself, neither Ferdinand nor Vidic can be deemed better than Liverpool’s No.4. The 52-year-old was asked to compare a series of top centre-backs for ESPN NL.
The first pairing Stam has to choose between is Van Dijk and Ruben Dias – easy win for Virgil. From there, the Netherlands captain beats away competition from Carles Puyol, Nesta, Ronald Koeman, Marquinhos, Fabio Cannavaro, Franco Baresi, Laurent Blanc and Sol Campbell.
Having also selected Van Dijk over both Ferdinand and Vidic, Stam explains his decision.
“You just watch and you have to say that, if you just look at the specific qualities of those other players and if you look at Virgil, I think he just has more to offer than the other players,” he says.
Liverpool must sort Van Dijk contract
Some will point to Stam having a Dutch bias when picking his top player. But, in our opinion, that would be to detract away from how good Van Dijk is and has been.
There is little question that the Reds’ centre-back belongs right up there with any defender from the history of the game.
When you have a player like that, you have to do everything possible to keep him. Van Dijk seems happy to stay at Anfield and it would be a real shame if FSG don’t capitalise on that.
Their preference for not handing big contracts to anyone over the age of 30 is clear, but there have to be certain players that you make an exception for.
If Virgil is happy to end his career with Liverpool, then that’s something that should be granted. Otherwise, this time next year we’ll all be left collectively kicking ourselves.
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