Liverpool manager Arne Slot has admitted he has been taken aback by Virgil van Dijk’s exceptional ability, describing the club captain as being on “another level”.
Now 33, Van Dijk is in the final six months of his contract and recently made his 300th appearance for Liverpool in their 4-1 victory over Ipswich Town.
Since arriving at Anfield, the Dutch centre-back has won it all, including the Premier League, Champions League, Club World Cup, Super Cup, FA Cup, and two League Cups.
Despite speculation surrounding his future, Van Dijk has been instrumental in leading Liverpool to the top of the Premier League, securing a place in the Champions League last 16, and advancing to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.
Slot, speaking with Gary Lineker, said: “Everybody here in England would tell you that Virgil van Dijk is the best defender in the world.
“In Holland, he got a bit more criticism than he gets over here in England. I was, in a very positive way, surprised how good he was on the ball and how he could play football through the lines.
“From the first day I was like ‘wow, this is definitely another level that I’m used to’. But people in England were used to this.”
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Slot, who took over at Liverpool last summer following Jurgen Klopp’s departure, has guided the team to a six-point lead over Arsenal in the Premier League, with a game in hand.
Liverpool have also dominated their Champions League campaign, winning all seven matches so far, securing their last-16 spot with one game remaining. Their final group stage match sees them face PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday.
Reflecting on Liverpool’s season, Slot admitted their current position exceeded his expectations.
“You don’t think after 20 games we will have that many points and I wasn’t expecting us to be top with the margin we have,” he added.
“It’s always nice to be up there, but nobody would have expected this. I’m the last person who would have expected [reigning champions Manchester] City to have such a bad run.
“Liverpool should always be competing for a league title, we should always be competing for the Champions League. I’m hoping I will be able to keep the club at that level.”
