"He’s my captain in this team" - Ryan Shawcross heaps praise on Liverpool star as he names his nightmare opposition XI

Former Stoke City defender Ryan Shawcross has lavished praise on Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk.

The Englishman, who came through the youth ranks of Manchester United, has claimed that the defender is on his way to becoming the best centre-back ever.

Shawcross was asked to pick his ‘nightmare opposition XI’ for StokeonTrentLive and made Van Dijk his captain over the likes of Steven Gerrard and Nemanja Vidic.

Alongside the Dutchman, the Inter Miami II assistant coach also picked Liverpool greats Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez.

The former Stoke City skipper has hailed van Dijk as a 'Rolls Royce' for his flawless and complete defensive attributes. Shawcross told StokeonTrentLive:

“[Van Dijk is] slowly becoming the [best] centre-back ever and he’s my captain in this team."

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"I’ve kept saying that you can’t rank him up there with the best because he hasn’t done it for long enough but the more I watch him, I can’t find a fault in his game."

“I look on in envy. Every attribute he’s 10/10. He’s unbelievable on the ball, one v one, aerially he never gets beat, he reads the game brilliantly and holds a ridiculous high line to help Liverpool press."

Shawcross has opened up on his surprise as to why the Liverpool star has been a late-bloomer in his career despite having everything in his game.

The 24-year-old believes that the Reds landed a bargain with the Dutchman, who has joined the brackets of legendary defenders like Franco Baresi. He added:

"I’m surprised it took him so long to get to the top. When he played for Southampton he gave away a penalty at our place and it was still one of the best performances I'd seen. A Rolls Royce. At [£75m] he was a steal."

“Put him in Arsenal’s team and they’d be title challengers, put him in Man City’s and they’d win the league by 20 points. I love watching him. He’s up there with Baresi, Hierro, Rio Ferdinand and Cannavaro."

Virgil van Dijk has been a key cog in Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool's machine

Jurgen Klopp has completely transformed Liverpool over the years since taking charge at the club in 2015.

Almost every signing of the German has paid off for the Reds but Virgil van Dijk was arguably the one who completely turned around the fortunes of the club.

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Liverpool signed the Dutch centre-back from Southampton for a then-world-record fee for a defender. It's safe to say that Van Dijk has more than justified his £75 million price tag.

Before van Dijk, the Reds had a leaky backline who used to concede goals for fun, but the Dutchman made their defense almost impenetrable.

The 30-year-old might not make as many headlines as Mohamed Salah or Sadio Mane but he is possibly the most important player in Klopp's side.

About the author

Snehanjan is a journalist at Sportskeeda covering European football news. A hardcore Liverpool fan for over two decades, he has been covering the game since the past 8 years and always strives to give readers relevant, accurate and credible content.

Snehanjan developed an interest in football at a very young age, thanks to his father watching football on TV. His favorite player is club legend Steven Gerrard and his favorite manager is another legend in Jurgen Klopp. The ‘Miracle of Istanbul’ i.e., Liverpool beating AC Milan in the 2005 UEFA Champions League final left an indelible mark on him. He believes that Liverpool is a family unlike other top clubs, which sets them apart.

Snehanjan also follows Indian Super League and the I-League, although the latter is closer to his heart. If he could change a rule in football, it would be VAR not pointing out mistakes of on-field officials unless they are clear and obvious errors. Outside the football world, Snehanjan likes to explore the various genres of music and watch movies and shows on OTT. He’s also a car enthusiast and likes to follow the automobile world.

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Edited by Sankalp Srivastava