Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk may be getting up there, but he is ageing like a fine wine.
By his own admission, Liverpool have not been good enough this season, and the Dutchman is not blameless in that. But his consistency at 34 years old has been staggering, especially in a campaign where so much around him has felt unstable.
That was underlined during Liverpool’s draw with Brentford, where Van Dijk completed a remarkable Premier League ever-present season. It is something Liverpool have not seen from an outfield player of that age in almost a century.
That’s how it all ends, Reds. What are your biggest concerns about this season?
And are there any positives to be found?
Virgil van Dijk played every minute in the Premier League for Liverpool this season
Van Dijk has been on the pitch for every minute of Liverpool’s difficult league campaign, finishing it off with another full outing against Brentford.
Aged 34 years and 320 days, he is the second-oldest outfield player in Liverpool history to play 100 per cent of possible minutes in a league season.
Only Tommy Lucas has done it at an older age, having managed the same feat in the 1930/31 campaign at 35 years and 224 days old.
For any player, that would be impressive. For Van Dijk, given the severity of injuries he has suffered in his career, it is genuinely remarkable.
The Liverpool captain has also contributed at the other end. His six Premier League goals make him Liverpool’s fourth-top scorer in the competition this season, just one behind Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah.
That says plenty about how badly Liverpool’s attackers have struggled, but it should not take anything away from Van Dijk’s achievement. He has remained available, reliable and influential throughout a season that has tested everyone at Anfield.
Of course, this cannot be the long-term plan. Liverpool will know that asking a 34-year-old centre-back to play every minute again next season is not sustainable, which explains why there has been so much focus on defensive recruitment.
That’s how it all ends, Reds. What are your biggest concerns about this season?
And are there any positives to be found?
What it does show, though, is that Van Dijk is still more than capable of leading this Liverpool side for another campaign.
A contract decision will need to be made eventually, but Thiago Silva was still winning the Champions League with Chelsea at 36 and playing at the top level beyond that.
There is every reason to believe Van Dijk can enjoy similar longevity.
- READ MORE: Mo Salah was so close to Premier League first during his last game in the competition for Liverpool
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