11 hours ago
39
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk is right up there when it comes to any conversation about the very best defenders of his generation — and indeed the Premier League era as a whole.
But former Liverpool star Steve Nicol says it is hard to make the argument that he is better than John Terry and Rio Ferdinand, putting the three on the same level when it comes to ranking them in England's top flight.
"I think the answer to the question is that he hasn’t surpassed [Terry and Ferdinand] because they’ve all been as important in captaining and looking after everyone around them in great teams," Nicol said on ESPN FC.
"All great teams have someone at center-back in my opinion who holds it together and steers the ship.
"I don’t think you can separate them at all. They all deserve to be in the conversation, to turn around and say who is the best is an impossibility."
Ferdinand himself had his say on Van Dijk recently, with the Dutchman coming under fire for his performance against Crystal Palace. A few days later, the Liverpool defense was left exposed again during the Premier League game with Bournemouth.
On his Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, the former England international remarked: "Speaking of center-backs who play under a lot of scrutiny, I've seen a lot of people talking about Virgil van Dijk and his performance in the Community Shield.
"Yeah, Virgil van Dijk will come off that game and then go, 'I could have made a better decision here or there'. This stage of the season, before the first game of the Premier League, that's normal.
"So I don't get people saying, 'Oh, has he gone?'. I'm seeing people say, 'Is he finished?'. Are you crazy?"
Alongside Ibrahima Konate, Van Dijk was left with a lot to do against Bournemouth's attack, with Antoine Semenyo netting twice in quick succession on the counter-attack.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Hugo Ekitike and Cody Gakpo had given Liverpool a 2-0 lead in the game but it then required Federico Chiesa to pop up with a late goal to put the Reds in front again. Mohamed Salah then added another in a 4-2 victory.
Liverpool.com says: It is so hard to compare players from different eras. Even Terry and Ferdinand, who played at the same time, were different kinds of players.
Van Dijk, as Nicol says, is right up there when it comes to the very best of all time. Arguing who is number one, two and three, though, is something that could go on forever.
English (US) ·