Paul Merson claims John Stones should learn from Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk

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Liverpool are currently six points ahead of Manchester City in the Premier League table with the duo set to meet next month.

Paul Merson has claimed that Manchester City defender John Stones ‘should be watching’ Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk to learn from his game.

The former Premier League winner also claimed that centre-back Stones, who has been struggling to prove his worth at the Etihad since his £48 million move from Goodison Park [BBC Sport], has got ‘as much talent’ as the defensive Dutch wall.

Van Dijk is regarded as not just the best defender in the world, but one of the best players, as he will be hoping to win the Ballon d’Or this year.

Speaking to The Debate on Sky Sports Football (23/10/2019 at 11:10 pm), Merson backed Van Dijk to win the Ballon d’Or, and lauded him as a ‘special’ player.

“I think he should win it [The Ballon d’Or],” Merson told Sky Sports. “Not single-handedly because other players have been around, but if he wasn’t at the club I don’t think they would be where they are.

“I played golf a few years back with Dermot Desmond, he had just left Celtic Van Dijk, I had said ‘cor, that was a result getting that much for Van Dijk [to Southampton for £13 million, BBC Sport], and he shot me down and said, you won’t believe how good of a player he is. He said he would go on and be one of the best you have seen. And to be fair, he was spot on.

“He has been exactly the same as he was at Celtic like he is at Liverpool. It’s a walk in the park for him. And that’s how special he is. He makes it look simple. Someone like John Stones, who has got a lot of talent, should be watching Van Dijk because he has got as much talent as him but he doesn’t do Cruyff turns.”

Van Dijk has helped transform what was before his arrival a very leaky Liverpool defence and helped them become the best defensive unit in England’s top-flight.

They missed out on winning the Premier League title by one point last term, but they did walk away with their sixth European crown.

Klopp will be hoping Van Dijk can now guide them to the Premier League title in May, with the Merseyside club currently sitting top of the table and six points ahead of near rivals Man City.