Virgil van Dijk reaffirmed his place as top-of-the-line centre-backs within the recreation after taking part in a key position in his fourth and Liverpool’s twentieth league title win.
The Dutchman performed extra minutes than any Liverpool participant bar Mohamed Salah throughout all competitions through the 2024/25 season — the fourth season in a row wherein he has racked up over 3,500 minutes.
He began and captained the staff in all however two video games throughout the Premier League and Champions League, in what was one other season of constant excellence.
VIRGIL VAN DIJK, 2024/25
Began: 49 (All competitions)
On instead: 0
Unused sub: 3
Targets: 5
Assists: 1
Total Season Ranking: 9.4
Management on and off the pitch
It’s unusual to suppose that the captain’s armband is comparatively new to Van Dijk.
He has solely been Liverpool captain for 2 seasons, however his pure consolation and effectiveness within the position make it really feel like he has held the standing for for much longer.
His calm however authoritative management qualities helped Liverpool finish the 2024/25 season with success, offering a continuation of management on the pitch regardless that there have been adjustments off it.
As a brand new supervisor arrived within the form of his compatriot Arne Slot, and a brand new teaching staff with him, Van Dijk and different gamers who had been round for the reason that title-winning Jurgen Klopp aspect performed an vital position.
Given the frequency with which Van Dijk speaks to the media as captain, you don’t hear that a lot from him within the sensationalist world of content material and remark.
There are hardly ever any controversies or missteps, on or off the pitch.
Partnership with Ibrahima Konate flourished
Van Dijk and Konate are one of many recreation’s very best centre-back partnerships.
The Dutchman’s management and all-round potential to win duels, cowl in behind and spray passes from the again mix properly with the extra proactive Konate’s tempo, front-foot defending and anticipation.
As Konate steps out in an try to cease assaults earlier than they actually get going, Van Dijk hangs again to cowl if wanted.
Van Dijk may do the Konate factor on his favoured left aspect of the defensive pair when required, however at his age, he prefers the extra reactive aspect of defending, utilizing his expertise to attend after which second-guess attackers in key moments.
The staff can look misplaced with out Van Dijk. They don’t simply miss his footballing potential however his organisational abilities too. They misplaced each of the video games he didn’t begin within the two important competitions.
If a few of Van Dijk’s organisational abilities will be picked up by Konate within the coming season, the Frenchman may very well be the successor to Van Dijk and make his new contract a no brainer.
Fortunately for Liverpool, they need to get to expertise this elite pairing on the coronary heart of the defence as soon as once more within the 2025/26 season.
Virgil van Dijk’s legacy as one of many greatest-ever
Van Dijk turns 34 years outdated this summer time and as he reaches the twilight of his profession, the query of his legacy, not simply at Liverpool however in soccer as a complete, will come more and more into focus.
The dialogue round Van Dijk isn’t nearly whether or not he is among the world’s greatest centre-backs in latest occasions – he’s undoubtedly the most effective of his period – it’s extra a query of how excessive he ranks on an inventory of the best centre-backs ever.
The romantic selection turns to the Italians after which to the genius of all-rounder Franz Beckenbauer, however for the calls for of a high staff within the trendy recreation, its excessive traces which expose defenders and its one-versus-one challenges, there have been none higher than Van Dijk.
On the subject of making a case for the Dutchman within the grand scheme of issues, his newest Premier League win offers him extra backup within the trophy division, one thing he lacks in comparison with a few of these gamers who got here by way of at dominant European powerhouses that had been frequently successful titles already.
It’s unfair that Van Dijk’s seasons with groups like Celtic and Southampton depend in opposition to him when judging his place within the pantheon of nice centre-backs.
Such progress at completely different ranges of the sport is definitely tougher than having all the time performed for a top-level membership with different world-class gamers. It ought to depend in his favour when judging his complete profession, not take away from it.
The 2024/25 season raised Van Dijk’s total standing within the recreation and added one other trophy-winning season on the high stage, making it two league titles with Celtic and two with Liverpool.
Like his first for Liverpool, it was one other historic league win and never a simple one. The primary ended the 30-year drought, whereas the second got here when nobody had given Liverpool an opportunity amid a managerial transition from Klopp to Slot.
With out the management and high quality of Van Dijk, Liverpool doubtless don’t elevate these titles.
Finest second: A successful purpose in opposition to West Ham in April – and lifting the Premier League trophy!
Worst second: Struggled to include Beto in opposition to Everton within the Merseyside derby.
Function subsequent season: Extra of the identical, please!
* Learn all our player-by-player season critiques right here
