Virgil van Dijk remains a “leading figure” at Liverpool even if his form has dipped slightly, says Emile Heskey, with the return of first-choice goalkeeper Alisson expected to make the Reds even stronger.
A Netherlands international centre-half has become a talismanic presence at Anfield on the back of a £75 million ($93m) transfer.
So impressive has Van Dijk been that he is the reigning UEFA Player of the Year and a leading contender to land the 2019 Ballon d’Or.
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Setting such lofty standards is always going to see any wobbles highlighted and Liverpool are not considered to be as watertight in 2019-20 as they were last season.