Virgil van Dijk has already named the four toughest strikers he's faced in Premier League
The Liverpool centre-back is a fierce competitor but admitted that certain strikers pose a tougher challenge than others.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has already named the four toughest strikers he’s faced in the Premier League.
Van Dijk, 33, signed a new contract at Liverpool on Thursday, extending his stay at the soon-to-be Premier League champions for at least another two seasons.
On Sunday (April 20), he could become a Premier League-winning captain if Arsenal suffer defeat at Ipswich Town and Liverpool beat Leicester City later in the day.
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However, the Netherlands international has already cemented his legacy at Anfield, having made 314 appearances for the Reds over a seven-year period - during which he has helped the Merseyside club win one Premier League crown, one FA Cup, two EFL Cups and a Champions League.
And the centre-back rarely appears flustered, no matter who he is competing against - although he did admit that four players proved especially difficult.
One of them is former Arsenal, Chelsea, AC Milan and France striker Olivier Giroud.
"I think that Olivier Giroud [is the toughest striker I've played against],” Van Dijk told France Football in 2024.
"Every time you think you've got a hold of him, that you've got him well marked, he always manages to score in one way or the other.
"With his head, his foot, his knee, he has often scored against me."
The 33-year-old then named former Manchester City star Sergio Aguero and Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus.
“He [Sergio Aguero] didn’t score many goals against us if I’m honest, but since I played against him when I was at Southampton, he was always a handful,” Van Dijk said about Aguero when speaking on The Rest Is Football.
“He could finish left and right, you always had to be at your best. One goal I remember he scored against us in 18/19, he came in front of Dejan Lovren from a cross, and he just finished it quickly. So yeah, he’s definitely up there.”
The former Southampton centre-back completed the list by naming Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.
“Every striker has different qualities in terms of strengths and weaknesses,” said Van Dijk on Optus Sport’s YouTube channel.
“We all know how much quality he [Erling Haaland] has – strong, fast and a good finisher as well.
“He can punish you in any second, and he scores so many goals for a reason. We have to be very good to keep him quiet, and that’s what we aim for.”
Topics: Virgil Van Dijk, Liverpool, Premier League, Football, Olivier Giroud, Sergio Aguero, Erling Haaland
Luke Davies