Liverpool fans make complete mockery of Virgil van Dijk vs John Terry debate

A debate on social media surrounding who is the Premier League's greatest-ever center-back has caught the imagination, with Terry himself stating his case on social media

Liverpool fans have given their verdict on Virgil van Dijk(Image: Getty Images)

Liverpool fans have answered categorically. In their eyes, there’s only one player who can claim to be the Premier League’s all-time greatest defender.

That’s a debate which has been fueled by Jamie O’Hara’s incredulous response to Jermaine Pennant during Monday’s talkSPORT show, when the former Liverpool winger claimed Virgil van Dijk was better than John Terry, the former Chelsea captain.

It has sparked a healthy debate on social media in recent days, with Blues supporters keen to highlight former England defender Terry’s success during the Jose Mourinho years and his ever-present season at 34, when he led Chelsea to the title.

Terry couldn’t resist offering his verdict, with a TikTok outlining his credentials and a few facts we, the general public, should certainly not overlook.

But that may not convince Liverpool fans, who were asked to join who they feel is the league’s all-time best center-back.

It may not come as a surprise that on Liverpool.com’s WhatsApp poll, it was Van Dijk who came out on top. After all, it is primarily Liverpool fans who subscribe to the channel. What may come as a shock is the extent to which the Dutchman won the vote.

Van Dijk, Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Vincent Kompany and “other” were the five options available for supporters to choose from.

John Terry enjoyed a glittering career at Chelsea(Image: Getty Images)

At the time of writing, Van Dijk has earned over 1,300 votes. The next highest was Terry on 38, followed by “other” on 23.

Remarkably, that means the current Liverpool skipper has amassed over 92 percent of the vote, with Terry earning under three percent. The response has been unequivocal.

It shouldn’t really come as a surprise, and O’Hara’s astonished reaction felt performative. Unsurprisingly, the clip of the one-time Gillingham midfielder indignantly screaming “are you serious?” went viral, causing the explosion of social media opinions.

The hard facts cannot be overlooked. Van Dijk has played an integral role in 97 and 99-point Premier League campaigns, has been voted in the PFA Team of the Year on five occasions, and selected in the FIFA FIFPRO World XI five times.

In the latter, Van Dijk has earned a place in three of the last four years, all of which came in his 30s.

Many will feel his peak came in 2019, when he scooped two of the three Premier League player-of-the-season awards and finished second in the Ballon d’Or vote, but six years later, he was still selected in multiple team-of-the-season line-ups.

And for those who will point to his collection of winners’ medals, which is admittedly smaller than some of his rivals, that is puerile logic. Team and individual success do not always correlate. For almost a decade, Van Dijk has been the league’s standout center-back and few could dispute he’s the league’s all-time greatest.