The Reds defender has gone on to elevate his club to new heights after joining from Southampton in January 2018.
Ian Holloway has admitted that he wondered what Liverpool were doing when they spent £75million on Virgil van Dijk in 2017-18.
However, the former Premier League manager now sees him as proof of improvement the likes of which would make it “almost impossible” for Manchester City or anyone else to win a quadruple.
Holloway was in conversation with Charlie Nicholas on Sky Sports show The Debate as the discussion centred around Pep Guardiola’s side and whether they could pull off winning the Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Champions League in the same season.
Van Dijk did raise eyebrows amongst some quarters when he joined the Reds for £75million – a world record fee for a defender – from Southampton in January 2018, but the Dutchman has helped turn Jurgen Klopp’s side into one which could seriously contend for major silverware including the Premier League and Champions League.
Newly appointed Queens Park Rangers manager Ian Holloway talks during a press conference at Loftus Road on November 16, 2016 in London, England.
“I think [the quadruple] is almost impossible these days because people have improved, you’ve only got to look at Liverpool,” said Holloway.
“They signed a centre half £75m and I thought ‘what are they doing?’, but he’s been brilliant, look what he’s done to everyone around him, it’s amazing. They changed the goalkeeper, which was obvious after last year’s debacle.”
The Reds are currently level on points with Man City at the top of the table, sitting second on goal difference but with a game in hand, and they return to Champions League action on Tuesday night when they host Bayern Munich in their last-16 first leg.
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