Brighton and Hove Albion manager Chris Hughton has praised Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk, saying that the Dutchman can become one of the greatest Premier League defenders of all-time.
Van Dijk came to Liverpool last January on a record transfer fee of £75 million from Southampton. He has since become an integral figure at Anfield.
In the past few months, van Dijk has established himself as one of the best defenders in Europe through his performances for Liverpool.
Chris Hughton believes that van Dijk is in the same league as the likes of Rio Ferdinand, John Terry and Sol Campbell, all of whom are amongst the greatest defenders the Premier League has ever seen.
Hughton said, “Is he that level of player? Yes of course, I’ve no doubt he is when you look at the qualities he’s got. The other players we’ve mentioned have done it over a long period. If you’re asking me if he’s at their level as a player, then the answer is yes. But if you’re talking about an influence on our game and the history they have, then of course they’ve done it for a longer time and he hasn’t.
What you have with all the best centre-halves, and it’s exactly the same with Van Dijk, is they make things look easier. If you homed in on the job he’s done, the positions he is in, the pace that he shows, the distribution that he has, he looks such a good player.
If you look at all the aspects of what you want in a centre-half: good in the air, comfortable with the ball at his feet, good enough pace, he has all those qualities.”
Brighton and Hove Albion host Liverpool on Saturday. The Seagulls haven’t lost any of their two matches of 2019 so far while Liverpool have lost both.
The Reds will be hoping to get back to winning ways by beating Brighton on Saturday. Liverpool won the home league in August 1-0 thanks to a goal from Mohamed Salah.
