‘Treated me like a 12-year-old boy’: PL man makes claim about £75m Liverpool ace

Follow us on Google Discover

Glenn Murray has faced Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk for a number of seasons now.

Glenn Murray has claimed that Virgil van Dijk ‘treated him like a 12-year-old boy’ when he came up against Liverpool last season as he hailed him as a ‘man mountain’.

This season, Brighton have faced Liverpool only once when they were beaten 2-1, with Murray an unused substitute during that game. 

But last season, Murray got a double taste of the £75m Liverpool man [BBC Sport] when his Brighton side were beaten twice by the then second-placed Premier League side. 

Nonetheless, speaking to Sky Sports News (22/03/20 at 9:40 am), Murray was asked who the toughest player he has faced during his career. 

“I didn’t come across him this season, but last season it was Virgil van Dijk,” Murray told Sky Sports. “I think he’s just a step above the rest and it has shown in Liverpool’s success since he has joined the club.

“What once was a little bit of an uneasy defence let’s say, I think he shored it up and is bringing the best out of those around him, especially both fullbacks and now Joe Gomes coming through. He is just a fantastic footballer.

“First and foremost, he is just a man mountain, isn’t he?! I mean he treated me like a 12-year-old boy. He just moves you out of the way. I think it’s his all-round game and his reading of the game. When you put somebody in defence and he makes those around him better, I think that’s the real test of a true great.” 

Prior to Van Dijk’s arrival on Merseyside, Liverpool were very shaky in defence and in between sticks, but the signing of two players transformed things for Jurgen Klopp.

Both Van Dijk and Alisson Becker have been near-on faultless for Liverpool in recent years and they are a big reason behind why they lifted the European Cup last term and will end their 30-year wait to become champions of England.

If the Liverpool supporters were asked, they would perhaps say that Van Dijk has been the most influential signing and a player who has already written his name into the legendry books at Anfield.