Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk admits he was ‘nowhere near’ the level of an Arsenal star William Saliba at the same age.
Saliba, 23, has drawn comparisons with Anfield hero Van Dijk, 33, following his impressive rise with Arsenal over the last three seasons.
After being signed by the Gunners for £27m in 2019, Saliba’s career threatened to stagnate as he spent the next three seasons back in France on loan.
Mikel Arteta finally decided to integrate Saliba into his first-team squad ahead of the 2022-23 season and the Frenchman quickly established himself as one of the best defenders in the Premier League as Arsenal challenged Manchester City for the title.
Saliba was also one of Arsenal’s most important players last season as they finished just two points behind Man City and became the first outfield player to play every minute of a season for the club in the Premier League era.
Van Dijk named Saliba when asked which other defenders he has been impressed by and said he was ‘nowhere near’ his level at the same age.
‘Obviously, Saliba is making very good steps at the moment,’ he told ex-Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand on his YouTube channel.
‘He’s the first one I have in mind right now. You know, he’s a solid one. I think in possession he’s doing a good job.’
Ferdinand then asked: ‘Does he remind you of yourself a little bit? Because I liken him to you a little bit in a lot of aspects of his game.’
Van Dijk responded: ‘Yeah, maybe.
‘You know, I think if I’m honest, when I was that age, I was nowhere near where he is today. And obviously that’s the beauty of football as well.
‘You know, I like to watch other defenders and pick up so many stuff from them. There are so many good ballplayers. You can always pick up certain things.’
Van Dijk was a key part of the Jurgen Klopp team that won the Premier League in 2020 and the Champions League in 2019. He came close to winning the Ballon d’Or that year, finishing as runner-up behind Lionel Messi.
Asked which opposition teams he has found life toughest against in recent years, Van Dijk said: ‘I would say Man City and Arsenal.
‘It’s always tough against them,’ the Netherlands international added. ‘You know if you’re not focused for a second or slip up, you can get punished immediately.
‘That’s the beauty of the Premier League, you’re playing against top strikers week in, week out.’
Saliba, meanwhile, rates Van Dijk as the standout defender in the Premier League in recent years, though he believes Man City’s Ruben Dias perhaps surpassed him last season.
‘Right now, honestly, it’s Ruben Dias,’ the Gunners star recently said. ‘Normally for me it is Van Dijk – he is the best.
‘Over the last four years he was the best in the world, but for me last season it was Ruben Dias, Van Dijk second and then Thiago Silva third.
‘I hope maybe I will be top three next season, but I think maybe they are better than me right now.
‘It’s not good to say they are better, but they are right now better than me but I hope one day I will be better than everyone here.’
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