Former Everton manager Sam Allardyce has had his say in the debate over Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk
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Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool celebrates at the final whistle following the team's victory during the Premier League match against Manchester City at Anfield on December 1 2024
Former Everton manager Sam Allardyce has rubbished claims Virgil van Dijk is the best Premier League centre-back of all time. But he believes it will be one of the greatest achievements in the division's history if the Liverpool skipper lifts the championship in May.
Van Dijk has been in outstanding form this season in helping the Reds open up a nine-point lead at the Premier League summit with 11 wins from 13 games.
The Holland international comprehensively shut down Manchester City dangerman Erling Haaland in Sunday's 2-0 win over the champions, prompting Sky Sports pundit and former England and Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher to hail Van Dijk as the best centre-back in Premier League history ahead of Chelsea legend John Terry.
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Allardyce, himself a centre-back during his playing days with the likes of Bolton Wanderers, Coventry City and Millwall, vehemently disagrees with the suggestion.
“I don't think the best of all time, no," he said. "Not with what we've seen in the Premier League over the years and what the quality of the centre-halves has been. He should be in the top six, but he’s not number one.
“I think that he now seems to have fully recovered from the cruciate. So, after he got injured at Everton and he had a cruciate ligament operation, he came back and looked a yard short. It looked like he couldn't quite read the game as well as he used to. But he seems to have overcome that now, and that is a huge injury to overcome by the way, and he's back on top form.
“So, he's right up there, there's no doubt. But I wouldn't call him the number one of all time. It's a big shout, that one. But Carragher’s bound to say that because he's Liverpool, isn't he? I'd say he's the best now. In fact, by far the best now, certainly with the way he's playing this year. It'll be a big miss to Liverpool if they lose him."
Allardyce has been impressed with the manner in which Arne Slot has replaced Jurgen Klopp in the Anfield hotseat and believes a Liverpool title triumph in his first season would rank among the very best Premier League stories.
“Liverpool are yet to have a blip and who knows if they will have one?" said Allardyce, speaking on the Footy Accumulators No Tippy Tappy Football podcast. "If he wins the league, it's one of the greatest achievements in the league for me, apart from Leicester winning the Premier League.
“Because if you're taking over from the iconic Jurgen Klopp, it’s nearly impossible. Just like how David (Moyes) and Steve (Round) took over from the iconic god of Manchester United, Alex Ferguson. However you look at it, it's just nearly impossible."