"I admire him a lot as a player and a person" - Darwin Nunez lauds Liverpool superstar who is a 'monster' in training

Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez has lifted the lid on his experience sharing the dressing room with Reds defender Virgil van Dijk.

Liverpool coughed up a sum of £75 million to acquire Van Dijk's services from Southampton in January 2018. However, they have since got their money's worth, with the defender establishing himself as one of the best in the world in his position.

Van Dijk has made 197 appearances across all competitions for the Reds, contributing towards 29 goals in the process. He has helped the club win a total of seven trophies, including the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League.

Van Dijk has often been lauded for his contributions to Liverpool over the last five years. Nunez has become the latest in line to heap praise on the Netherlands international.

Nunez started off by hailing Van Dijk as a 'monster' and admitted that the defender often leaves him infuriated in training. The striker also highlighted the player's importance in the Reds' dressing room. He told ESPN Uruguay [via The Mirror]:

“Van Dijk is a monster, sometimes I get hot [angry] because I can't pass him in training, he puts an arm in me and takes me out."

"He is a very important piece for Liverpool, and he is also a reference, he is always talking to everyone, he is very funny and it is good that there are people like that in the dressing room."

Nunez went on to express his gratitude towards Van Dijk for speaking highly of him after the Reds beat Benfica in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals last term. He added:

“It's very difficult to beat him heads-up. I also thank him because when he was interviewed [after Liverpool beat Benfica last season] he said that it had been very difficult to mark me; I admire him a lot as a player and as a person."

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How has Nunez fared for Liverpool?

The Reds acquired Nunez's services from Portuguese giants Benfica for an initial sum of £64 million in the summer. However, the striker could prove to be more expensive than Van Dijk, with add-ons potentially taking the fee to £100 million.

Nunez, though, made a slow start to his life on Merseyside, scoring just two goals in his first eight appearances for the Anfield outfit. However, he appears to be slowly finding his rhythm at the club.

The 23-year-old has notably found the back of the net in each of his last three starts for Jurgen Klopp's side. He will now be keen to live up to his price tag like Van Dijk has done in recent years.