"When I was his age, I wasn’t as good as him" - Virgil Van Dijk makes big claim about Liverpool teammate

Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk has lavished praise on his centre-back partner Ibrahima Konate, claiming that the Frenchman is a better player than he was at his age. Van Dijk and Konate have formed a solid defensive partnership this season, helping the Reds secure the Premier League title.

During a recent interview with L'Equipe, Van Dijk said about Konate (via the Liverpool Echo):

“Ibou is a good friend and an excellent defender, He’s fast, strong and he wants to become a leader. He’s getting there because he’s improving. I think he’s had his best season since he arrived. As your career progresses, you understand better how your body adapts to different situations. In any case, when I was his age, I wasn’t as good as him.”

Van Dijk joined the Merseyside giants in January 2018 from Southampton for a reported €84.65 million, while Konate joined from RB Leipzig for a reported €40 million in the summer of 2021.

The duo have played 8409 minutes together across 104 games for the recently crowned English champions during which they have averaged 2.19 points per game.

Liverpool manager explains why he turned down Tottenham Hotspur move 12 months before joining Reds

Arne Slot has stated that he turned down Tottenham Hotspur 12 months before joining the Reds from Feyenoord because of his family. The Dutch tactician was linked with the job in north London as a potential replacement for Antonio Conte, but ultimately rejected the move to remain in the Eredivisie.

In a recent interview with AD, Slot stated (via FotMob):

“The fact that I didn’t go to Spurs was 99% a family decision, I told my children that they could still come to London during the holidays. My daughter replied, ‘But during the holidays I also want to do something with friends’. I already thought going to Spurs was a big deal, because who goes from Feyenoord straight to Tottenham? But when Liverpool came last season, everything was completely different. No one gets higher than Liverpool.”

Slot guided the Reds to the Premier League title in his first season in charge of the English outfit. Liverpool finished with 84 points, 10 points ahead of second-placed Arsenal.

About the author

Patrick is a European and international football journalist at Sportskeeda covering news and transfer rumors. A Business Administration graduate with a professional experience of 10 years, one of his earliest childhood memories is watching Calabar Rovers play at the U.J. Esuene Stadium with his father, with whom, he connects with, discussing the beautiful game.

Patrick’s favorite team is Manchester United for their unparallelled legacy and success in the game. He is a big admirer of Michael Carrick and his ‘smooth’ style of play back in the days. His favorite manager is Jose Mourinho, who according to him, brought a ‘swagger’ to football with his unique managerial style. Robin van Persie’s title-winning volley against Aston Villa for the 2013 PL triumph is etched in his memory forever.

Patrick always uses trusted outlets that produce accurate, balanced and fair information, and which present multiple point of views. He believes in reporting in a holistic manner for the readers’ benefit. If he could change a football rule, he would increase the number of substitutions allowed due to the high number of games played these days, to reduce injuries and so that youngsters get to show their talent as well.

When not covering football, Patrick loves reading, writing poems and short stories, and spend time with his dog Lana.

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Edited by Arshit Garg