Virgil van Dijk has shown himself again for Liverpool this season and his progress from last season has made a big difference to Jurgen Klopp.
Liverpool have acquired the services of a superhero in the 2018 winter transfer window. At the time, Jurgen Klopp was desperate to improve his defense after leaking cheap goals during his time on Merseyside.
So he decided to spend big to get the best players in the market.
The Reds broke their transfer record by bringing Virgil van Dijk to Anfield, with the Southampton captain impressed by his arrival.
The Dutchman looked to improve throughout the week after scoring straight away on his debut against rivals Everton.
Van Dijk quickly impressed with Liverpool’s defensive capabilities and established himself as a key figure in possession, launching attacks from deeper areas.
It was only a matter of time before fans forgot the price tag attached to his name as his displays rendered those numbers almost meaningless.
In his first full season at Anfield, Van Dijk won the Champions League with the Reds and a year later led the Merseysiders to their first Premier League title in 30 years. Many players contributed to Klopp’s performances, but his No. 4 was very necessary.
Van Dijk was the only Reds player to start all 38 games and play every minute of the game throughout the season as Liverpool won the Premier League title. Only seven players in total accomplished the feat that season.
At his best, Van Dijk was virtually untouchable. He handled defensive situations with ease and proved to be too strong, too tough and too smart for his opponents.
The Netherlands captain also finished second in the Ballon d’Or standings, one point behind Lionel Messi.Van Dijk was superior to any defender in the world during his prime, but suffered a decline last season.
After years of dominance, Liverpool’s power suddenly seemed human.Klopp’s men conceded plenty of goals and Van Dijk looked less confident than ever.
The Dutch international made too many mistakes, got too involved in some situations and, although he performed at a reasonable level compared to the players around him, he no longer looked like the unicorn on the pitch.
