Virgil van Dijk 'better than ever' as Liverpool team-mate gushes with praise for captain

Could it be that Virgil van Dijk has quietly returned to his peak form, or even hit new heights?

It’s been five years since the Liverpool’s Dutch defender was a Ballon D’Or runner-up and four years since his nasty injury after he was tackled by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford during the Merseyside derby.

It resulted in a nine-month layoff, with his performance never quite reaching the same heights as when Liverpool last claimed the Champions League.

However, it seems that Andy Robertson, who is well-placed to judge, believes Van Dijk is setting new, superior standards.

The Scottish left-back stated: “The injury he had was horrendous – one of the worst you could get in football. It will always take time to get back to your level. I think he got back pretty quickly to that. It’s was then about getting his sharpness and his fitness.

“Now, when he’s at his best he makes it look easy. It’s not. He works so hard. He’s an excellent professional. It might look easy from the outside. It isn’t. He’s obviously a pleasure to play alongside. I help him and he helps me – we talk to each other throughout the game.

“But, yes, I think he’s better than ever just now. He’s our main man at the back. He’s pushing us all and he has been fantastic so far. We need him to keep going for the rest of the season and all the lads do the same.”