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Defending Premier League Player of the Year Virgil van Dijk delivered 'from the first moment' since his arrival at Anfield says Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp. The phenomenal EPL defender has arguably been the best player in the league since his then-world record move to Liverpool from Southampton.
The Dutchman helped Liverpool reach the final of the UEFA Champions League in the same season he moved to the club. He carried his unbelievable form into the 2019/20 season as well as the Reds sit comfortably atop the Premier League table with a record point tally.
In a video released by UK outlet FootballJOE and sportswear giants New Balance Football, Klopp was shown playing the famous game 'Guess Who' with an Everton fan. During the game, Klopp was quizzed about a number of his players and what kind of an experience it has been coaching them.
Premier League manager Klopp heaps praise on Van Dijk
When the German was asked what his towering Dutchman has brought to his team, Klopp began by saying,
"A lot, come on, a lot."
He spoke of the impact that the fee paid for the Premier League defender played a role and how it is the performances that truly matter. He continued,
"When you buy a player for that kind of money, it's always difficult. Especially for the player, because I'm completely relaxed about that. When I make a decision, I make a decision. But, of course, for a boy in a specific age it's difficult because now we talk about expectations. You have to deliver all the time and if you don't deliver, people talk about the money. If you deliver, people stop talking about the money."
The EPL manager went on to talk about how in the Premier League's second-most expensive defender hit the ground running since his £75m move to Anfield. A beaming Klopp continued as he explained how Van Dijk had the perfect start to his Liverpool career.
"He (Virgil van Dijk) delivered from the first moment. He scored in the first game against Everton, obviously. That was a good start, I would say. And he's an outstanding character."
The Premier League champions-in-waiting lead the EPL table by an unprecedented 25 points having played one game more than second-placed Manchester City. The former Premier League champions have had an uncharacteristically poor season under Pep Guardiola as Klopp and Liverpool's assault on their title has shattered their hopes of a Premier League three-peat.
Klopp also spoke highly of Trent Alexander-Arnold during his game of Guess Who. The English full-back finished the previous season with a Premier League record-shattering 12 assists from defence and evidently has the manager's faith in him. When quizzed on what the EPL defender is like, Klopp simply responded saying,
"Super lad. Super, super, super lad. Fantastic boy!"
The former Borussia Dortmund manager and his Reds side anxiously await the restart of the Premier League season as they look to be officially crowned as champions of the league. If and when the top-flight does resume, though, Liverpool winning the title for the first time in over three decades appears to be a mere formality with a formidable 25-point lead.
