'The best': Tim Howard says Liverpool star doesn't 'get enough credit' for how good he is
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Virgil van Dijk has helped Liverpool dominate in the Premier League and Europe for years, but the Dutchman’s ability as a top-level centre-back continues to be questioned.Just this week, Ben Foster said he would pick Arsenal star Gabriel over Van Dijk, while John Terry has said he was better than the Liverpool defender.But Howard now thinks the fact that the Dutchman has been impressing for so long means he’s not getting the credit he deserves. Arne Slot thinks Tottenham will be a tough game because of their new manager, who has lost four games in a row! 😵💫 Slot can’t be serious, right?
What’s your score prediction for the game… 🔮Credit: Michael Regan/Getty Images Virgil van Dijk doesn’t get enough credit because he’s been doing it for so longIt is a fair point to make, as football fans are often guilty of favouring nostalgia, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Van Dijk remembered more fondly when he retires.Speaking on the Unfiltered Soccer podcast, Howard said: “Oh man, it’s so difficult with players like him who they don’t get enough credit. “Like when you’re at the top for so long, when you’re the best at anything, like he’s been considered the best defender in the world for a number of years.“I don’t know, six, seven, eight years, whatever.
Right, and you’re playing at a club that’s consistently challenging for European titles, for Premier League titles and then you got then you go into your national team, which is one of the most famous shirts in the world, and you’re asked to lead that team, you don’t get enough credit, there are not many of those around.” Which category does Virgil van Dijk rank in the best centre-backs in football history? Is he even better than Maldini? 😱 Photo credit: Getty Images/Chris Brunskill/Fantasista Virgil van Dijk vs top Premier League defenders in 2025/26While Howard’s assessment is spot on, Van Dijk’s form has fallen off slightly in the current campaign.Is that due to his age or simply because Liverpool as a squad are struggling in 2025/26?It is hard to say, but when looking at the numbers, the stopper is lagging behind in a few key areas compared to other Premier League centre-backs.Blocks per 90Tackles per 90Interceptions per 90Clearances per 90Nathan Collins (1.4)Cristian Romero (2.8)Wesley Fofana (2.0)Kevin Danso (9.5)Max Kilam (1.4)Yerson Mosquera (2.7)James Hill (1.9)Daniel Ballard (8.1)James Tarkowski (1.3)Nordi Mukiele (2.4)Joe Gomez (1.8)Virgil van Dijk (7.6)Marcos Senesi (1.3)Piero Hincapie (2.3)Marcos Senesi (1.6)Marcos Senesi (7.4)Murillo (1.2)Lutsharel Geertruida (2.3)Chirs Richards (1.5)Michael Keane (7.3)Apart from clearances, which he is third for, Van Dijk ranks pretty low in the remaining stats.He has the 53rd-most interceptions of centre-backs in the Premier League per 90 (0.6), he has made the 54th-most tackles per 90 (0.6) and the 45th-most blocks per 90 (0.5).Join Our NewsletterReceive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox