Former Premier League player and current BBC pundit Martin Keown has praised Liverpool’s star signing from the winter transfer window last year.
During last term, Jurgen Klopp’s side were known for being absolutely prolific going forward but very disorganized defensively.
It was the defensive flaws which saw Liverpool fail to remain in the race for the title even though they were the first team to beat Manchester City in the league.
Into the second half of the campaign, Klopp decided to spend money on a new defender, after the profit which the club made from selling Coutinho to FC Barcelona.
Virgil van Dijk was the man whom the Reds bought to change their defensive woes and so far this season, that signing has paid off immensely.
The former Southampton star has been an absolutely rock at the back for Liverpool and Martin Keown has praised him while admitting he is happy the Dutchman is not a Manchester City player.
Keown told BBC Sport: “He is just class, isn’t he? He purrs around the pitch, in possession or out of possession, he is a mountain in the air and has taken on the responsibility, at this time in his career to try to lead Liverpool to the title.
“That’s because he wants to be a winner. I am just glad he didn’t go to City, because he could have gone there and we wouldn’t have had a brilliant title race like this one if he had.”