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Chelsea legend Didier Drogba has named Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk as the best centre-back in world football currently. The Blues legend certainly enjoyed his fair share of duels with defenders in football's elite competitions back in his hey-days. He went on to score 164 goals and provide 81 assists in 381 games for the Blues.
In a conversation with GOAL, Drogba picked the best defender of all time and the best defender in the world currently. For the first, he mentioned Franz Beckenbauer, a legend who won the FIFA World Cup, the European Champions Cup, and even the Ballon d'Or.
However, when asked, "Who is the best defender in the world right now?", the Chelsea legend responded (via TBR Football):
“Wow, it is difficult for me to say, but I’ll go with Van Dijk.”
Indeed, Virgil van Dijk has been one of the most instrumental parts of Liverpool's recent success in his centre-back role. He has played 287 games for the club, scoring 25 goals and creating 13 assists. He has only been sent off once throughout his time at Anfield.
Van Dijk has gone on to win the UEFA Champions League, the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the Carabao Cup with Liverpool. What was arguably his best year came in the 2019-20 season, as he came second place in the Ballon d'Or rankings, with Lionel Messi beating him to win the award.
Chelsea prepare for Premier League clash against Aston Villa
Chelsea will return to the Premier League this weekend (December 1) when they invite Aston Villa to Stamford Bridge. In a match that could keep them in the title race or push them out of top four, the Blues will be in the hunt for all three points.
They have been in impressive form this season, losing just two league games, as they sit in third place. Indeed, they have not lost a league game since Liverpool beat them 2-1 at Anfield on October 20, with their first loss coming on the first day of the season against Manchester City.
More recently, the Blues enjoyed a win in the Europa Conference League, where they beat Heidenheim 2-0 at the Voith-Arena on November 28. They will be seeking to continue this impressive run of winning form against stronger opponents in Aston Villa.
The home advantage is on Chelsea's side, and they will look to pile the pressure on Aston Villa, who have an ongoing winless run of seven matches.
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Edited by Ankush Das