Rio Ferdinand makes U-turn on Virgil van Dijk stance with best Premier League defender claim

Former Manchester United player Rio Ferdinand has reversed his opinion on who the best defender in the Premier League is. Initially in February 2020, Ferdinand named Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk as the top centre-back in the league. He even went as far as to call him "undoubtedly" the best defender in the world.

However, due to Liverpool and Van Dijk's lack of success this season, Ferdinand now believes that someone else has taken the mantle.

For Ferdinand, Manchester United's Lisandro Martinez is the best defender in the league, replacing Virgil van Dijk as the top centre-back. On FIVE (via Mirror), the former Red Devil said of the Argentina international:

"On form right now, I don't think there's really much argument coming from anywhere else. I think he's dominant, he's aggressive, he's a leader, he communicates well, he shows character, he's there in big moments."

Martinez's form in recent months has been stellar. He has silenced those who have questioned whether a player of his stature would be able to compete in England.

Speaking about the doubts he had surrounding the defender, Ferdinand said:

"But I was one of the ones questioning, 'Is he physically gonna be able to compete here if teams isolate him?' And that's where Erik ten Hag has been confident in tactically being able to keep teams away from being able to dominate enough possession to isolate someone like Martinez."

He continued:

"And, up till now, he hasn't been exposed in that sense. On a regular basis, week after week, are we not sitting there going, 'That's a recurring problem, there. It continues to happen, someone's pulling out on him and jumping over him or bullying him physically.'"

---

Roy Keane heaps praise on Premier League defender Lisandro Martinez

The World Cup winner has been an instrumental part of Manchester United's resurgence up the league table since joining the club from Ajax. He has proven to be more than capable of holding his own against the best strikers in the Premier League.

His impressive performances have seen Roy Keane speak glowing words. The United legend revealed just how remarkable Martinez has been in the Premier League. Speaking to Sky Sports, Keane said (via United District):

“He’s got pride in his defending, which is great to see. A lot of the modern defenders know it’s about what they do in possession. He wants to defend, he’s got great pride in it."

The South American will likely continue to play his pivotal role in the defensive schemes of Ten Hag.