‘He just oozes class’ – Sky pundits suggest Liverpool powerhouse makes football look ‘too easy’ | OneFootball

Jamie Carragher and Michael Dawson were in agreement with the narrative that Virgil van Dijk makes elite football look almost too easy at times.

The Dutchman has been a transformative figure at Liverpool since his £75m move from Southampton seven years ago, turning a porous Reds defence into a near-impenetrable unit within a few short months and coming the closest of anyone at Anfield to winning the Ballon d’Or in modern times.

The 33-year-old rounded off his team’s Carabao Cup semi-final romp over Tottenham with the fourth goal on Thursday night, and he came in for glowing praise from pundits after the match.

Sky pundits in awe of Liverpool captain Van Dijk

Speaking about Van Dijk on Sky Sports, Carragher raved: “He’s too good for the highest level of football. It’s almost like it’s still too easy for him. It almost feels like there should be another level above that for Van Dijk because he plays the game with such ease.

“I watched him here against Haaland – the best goalscorer around, a big, powerful lad who’s got pace – and it doesn’t even feel like [Van Dijk] is trying. Has he sprinted in the game tonight?”

Dawson chimed in: “He never gets dirty. He looks immaculate at the end of [a game] because he cruises through. He gets people [into position], he’s always talking. He plays in front of him. He has calm – diagonal ball into Salah, plays it to Robbo [Andy Robertson]. He just oozes class, everything about him.”

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Carragher then interjected: “You said before that he’s the best [centre-back] in the Premier League. He is the best, but it’s not even a debate. This nonsense about all the other defenders who are great defenders, and I’ve played with a lot of them, he’s so far above it. It’s a joke.

“Football is that easy for him. I’ve never seen a player at that ease, probably in any position, not just at centre-back. It’s a walk in the park for him.”

Van Dijk sets enormous standards at Liverpool

We agree with Carragher and Dawson when they say that Van Dijk never looks ruffled on a football pitch, but the reason that he appears at such ease in matches is because of his extreme dedication.

The Liverpool captain sets enormous standards not just for himself but for his teammates, which can be seen in how he cajoles the players around him when he spots an error, and in his insistence that the Reds could’ve performed even better last night despite cruising to an emphatic 4-0 victory.

When Cody Gakpo scored in the first half to level the tie on aggregate, our number 4 instantly beckoned his teammates back beyond the halfway line to get set to go again, rather than indulging in congratulations over the goal.

The manner in which Van Dijk rattled Richarlison delighted the Anfield crowd, with the Spurs attacker being given a lesson in what it’s like to possess an elite mindset.

The 33-year-old belongs in any discussions about Liverpool’s greatest-ever defenders, and it’ll be a sad day when he says goodbye to the club. Let’s hope that day comes a lot sooner than June, when his current contract is set to expire.