Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk may have needed Arne Slot’s arrival at the club to help get back to his best.
That’s according to analysts Anso Jansen and Kees Luijckx via Voetbal Primeur, who believes Slot’s influence has turned the Liverpool captain into the best in the world once again.
Van Dijk has been imperious for Liverpool again this season, leading from the back as they’ve raced to the top of the Premier League and Champions League.
The 33-year-old appears to have rediscovered the form which once had many labelling him as the best defender in the world and among the best ever.
He had struggled to hit those heights after coming back from a cruciate ligament injury suffered in the Merseyside derby in October 2020 that saw him spend 254 day on the treatment table and miss 57 games for club and country.
Like the rest of the Liverpool squad, he appears to have benefitted from the breathe of fresh air that has swept around Anfield since Arne Slot arrived in the summer to replace Jurgen Klopp.
Jansen certainly thinks he’s the best at this moment in time while Luijckx feels that Slot’s system change has helped the centre-back to get back to the top.
“Of course, he also had a year with his cruciate ligament,” said Jansen.
“Unfortunately, I’ve had a number of serious knee injuries myself, and I definitely don’t want to compare myself to him, but also in terms of knees, you have to count on nine months before you reach your level again. He played everything last season, that’s already very good.
“Sometimes we criticized him a bit, but now that he has been playing for a year… yes, I think he is the best defender in the world. I think he’s so incredibly good. This year he’s also developed his game on the ball enormously.”
“Maybe he needed a trainer for that too,” added Luijckx.
“Who gave him handles and said: we’re going to do it like this, and I’ll put the players in front of you like this. Even if you’re 33.”
