
Joey Barton has just revealed that he’s a huge fan of a certain Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool.
Van Dijk is comfortably one of the world’s best central defenders, if not the very best.
Toward the end of 2019, the towering Dutchman placed second in the Ballon d’Or stakes behind Lionel Messi.
And if that doesn’t prove you’re different gravy as a centre-back then nothing will.
Liverpool have badly missed the former Southampton powerhouse, who’s been absent since October with a season-ending knee problem suffered in a Merseyside derby away to Everton.
Van Dijk, who stands at 6’5, is clearly a fine physical specimen, but he can also play quite a bit too and Jurgen Klopp has certainly missed those raking balls from defence.
He has a lot of admirers in the world of football and former Manchester City and Newcastle United midfielder Joey Barton, it seems, is certainly one of them – if this effusive praise is anything to go by.
He told The Bristol Post: “Virgil van Dijk is a god. He’s 6ft 85in, he’s got muscles everywhere, not a blemish on his face, modelling contracts everywhere, he’s a colossus.”

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