VINCENT KOMPANY has boldly claimed that Virgil van Dijk is the best defender ever to play in the Premier League.
The Dutch defender, 28, has been a standout star for Liverpool since he joined from Southampton for £75million in January 2018.
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Van Dijk was crowned the Uefa Champions League Player of the Year ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
And Kompany has ranked him above the likes of veteran defenders Rio Ferdinand and John Terry despite only making his Premier League debut in 2015.
Speaking ahead of his testimonial match, Kompany was asked where he ranks himself among the all-time best centre-backs in the Prem.
The Anderlecht player-manager said: “I never to try to compare.
“My journey is different, I’ve had to deal with different tools and for me not to play this game, let’s not escape the irony.
“So I’ve had to deal with that and I’ve tried to be substantial for my team.
“I would bring it back to Virgil van Dijk, he’s not been on the scene as long as Terry and Ferdinand who have been around for a long time but the signs he’s shown in the last years.
“He’s shown if he had been around longer he’d have been at the top for a long time.
“The Liverpool before Van Dijk and after are a completely different set up. I’ll give him that one.”
But Kompany has had to pull out of his own testimonial match as he is struggling with a hamstring injury.
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