Jurgen Klopp has given Virgil van Dijk the ultimate seal of approval by declaring he has recaptured the form that made him the world’s best defender.
It was on this day four years ago that Liverpool’s manager was glowing after his club announced they had agreed a £75million deal with Southampton for Van Dijk’s transfer. It ended a six-month pursuit of the Netherlands captain and the transfer proved to be transformative.
Van Dijk helped Liverpool win the Champions League and Premier League in 2019 and 2020 but a measure of his influence on the team was properly gauged last season, when he was ruled out from October with anterior cruciate ligament damage.