Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk has named the four toughest strikers he has faced in his Premier League career.The Dutch defender joined Southampton in 2015 and spent nine years in the English top flight before moving to Liverpool for £75m in January 2018. During this period, Van Dijk performed consistently against top Premier League teams such as Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal.As a result, the 32-year-old has plenty of options to choose from among the toughest strikers he has ever faced.
Van Dijk’s leader was none other than Olivier Giroud, who terrorized defenses with his aerial skills and power during his spells at Arsenal and Chelsea. Many believe the Frenchman is one of the most underrated strikers in Premier League history, given his contribution to Chelsea’s 2020/21 Champions League victory, his performances in France and the league titles in France and Italy.
Van Dijk is a big fan of Giroud and told France Football (via GFFN): “I think Olivier Giroud is [the toughest striker I’ve ever played with].“Whenever you think you’ve got it, you’ll get a good look at it. He always scores. “He often scored at me with his head, legs and knees. The centre-back also named Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero and Arsenal star Gabriel Jesus as his toughest opponents. All three strikers have different profiles, with Jesus often providing the perfect foil for Aguero’s forwards and clinical finishing at City.Van Dijk didn’t reveal much about why these three players were particularly difficult, other than “they make every game difficult for you”.
Two of the top four spots went to Erling Haaland, who has established himself as the division’s best striker since joining City from Borussia Dortmund in 2022.
