Van Dijk ‘the best ever’? Rank great Premier League centre-backs

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has extended his stay at Anfield.

The 33-year-old centre-back, who has signed a new two-year deal, is on the verge of lifting his second Premier League trophy with the Reds.

Van Dijk’s late winner against West Ham on Sunday moved Arne Slot’s men 13 points clear of second-placed Arsenal with just six league games to play.

When he frustrated Manchester City striker Erling Haaland during a 2-0 win earlier in the season, ex-Reds defender Jamie Carragher declared on social media that Van Dijk is “the best centre-back we’ve ever seen in the Premier League”.

“I always said it was John Terry before Van Dijk came along,” he continued.

“All great defenders of the past had attackers who caused them problems, but who ever causes Van Dijk any?

“He’s just played against [Real Madrid’s Kylian] Mbappe and Haaland and played them with such ease he could’ve played with a cigar.

“Please stop this silly debate about the best centre-back, it’s not even close.”

Netherlands defender Van Dijk has more than justified the world-record £75m Liverpool paid Southampton to sign him in 2018 – helping the Reds lift the Champions League in 2019 and end a 30-year wait for a top-flight title in 2020.

The former Celtic player has won 160 of his 229 Premier League games for Liverpool, with a 69.9% win ratio.

Only Arsenal legend Tony Adams, Chelsea icon Terry, and ex-Manchester United defenders Nemanja Vidic and Gary Pallister have a higher clean-sheet percentage than Van Dijk’s 42.4% at Liverpool (of players with 200 or more starts).

Van Dijk has won a higher percentage of duels and aerial duels than any other Premier League centre-back since he made his Liverpool debut.

Of centre-backs to have played 3,500 minutes or more since January 2018, Van Dijk has been dribbled past less often per 90 minutes than anyone else. On average a player gets past him once every seven games (it has only happened 35 times).

And, since scoring in his Liverpool debut – a 2-1 victory over Merseyside rivals Everton – no defender has scored more Premier League goals than Van Dijk’s 20.

Speaking earlier this season, former Blackburn striker Chris Sutton told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club: “[Ex-Leeds and Manchester United player] Rio Ferdinand was a slightly different player to Terry.

“Terry was a phenomenal defender. Tony Adams was a brilliant leader.

“I get the Van Dijk shout as well. He has absolutely everything. People would look at Ferdinand’s trophy haul and say ‘well it has to be him’.

“Currently yeah, I think he is – that’s me sort of copping out a bit but John Terry was phenomenal as well though so can we have a joint three – Terry, Ferdinand and Van Dijk?”

Ex-Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given added it is “all about different opinions”.

“Ferdinand, Terry, Vidic, Jonathan Woodgate in his prime before he went to Real Madrid, Colin Hendry at Blackburn, does John Stones get a mention in his prime?”

And he added “what a player” Paul McGrath was.