If you earn praise from Lionel Messi, you have to be a special footballer.
To be lauded by arguably the greatest footballer of all time is essentially the ultimate compliment, with the Argentine knowing a talented individual when he sees one.
Virgil van Dijk has enjoyed an astonishing 12 months in a Liverpool shirt, leading to Messi discussing his brilliance.
Speaking to Marca, the Barcelona legend outlined what it is that makes Van Dijk so special, having faced him in last season’s Champions League semi-finals:
He is a defender that knows how to judge the timing and wait for the right moment to get in or hold on.
He is very fast and big, but he has a lot of agility for his height.
He is fast because of its great stride and is impressive, both in defense and attack because he scores many goals.
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Van Dijk has earned endless acclaim for his performances for Liverpool, and rightly so.
The Dutchman’s vast influence for the Reds helped them clinch Champions League glory last season and he is now the favourite to pip Messi to the Ballon d’Or later this year.
Van Dijk is an extraordinary player – one with the ability to go down as an all-time great one day.
