Speaking on the Seaman Says Podcast, Martin Keown has been waxing-lyrical about Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk.
The former Arsenal defender was asked which defender in the Premier League stands out the most to him, and perhaps predictably, Keown picked van Dijk.
The Dutchman is undoubtedly one of the best defenders in the world, and Keown says he’s been blown away by the Liverpool ace.
What’s Keown said?
Keown named van Dijk as the best defender in the Premier League.
“I think that van Dijk is the one that stands out because of his pace, and his passing is ridiculous at times, his diagonal balls, he plays on the left, but you never see him in trouble on his left foot, he brings it onto his right and pings those balls, he’s quick one vs one, his pace is good, sometimes I think he doesn’t get the limelight. If I was playing alongside him I’d think he doesn’t know when to hold, when to squeeze and when to drop off. Sometimes he’s detached from the rest of the group, but nine times out of ten he’s the best defender in the Premier League. He’s a Rolls Royce, David, he just purrs across the ground,” Keown said.
Rolls Royce
Keown calls van Dijk a Rolls Royce, and that’s a very apt description.
He perfectly blends power, speed, size and elegance in a way that not many other defenders can, and that’s what makes him so brilliant.
As Keown says, he can sometimes look detached from the rest of his defensive unit, but when you’re that commanding at the back, you can be a bit of a maverick.
Van Dijk is undoubtedly one of the best defenders in Premier League history.
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