In the 2020/21 season, Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk suffered a serious anterior cruciate ligament rupture after being tackled by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
Since then, Van Dijk has not been able to regain the speed of the days when he could not allow opposing forwards to dribble past him, and his career, coupled with his age, seemed to be on the decline.
This season, however, he has shown a different kind of performance. His positioning, tactics, and physicality are as good as ever, and he has regained his speed in coming back after a breakthrough in the final line, showing a performance reminiscent of his heyday.
Former Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia, who was on hand for the traditional match between Liverpool and Manchester United, praised the player, who is a defensive leader in the same position he was in during his playing days, as having all the necessary abilities.
“I watched the game in here [Liverpool vs Manchester United]. The game is quicker than it was in my time. I don’t know how well I would cope with the tempo now.”
“I love to watch Virgil van Dijk. He is the best, he has everything. If I was as quick as him then I’d have been the best in the world, but I wasn’t.”
Daily Mail