Even at the age of 34, [Liverpool](https://walkon.com/) superstar center back Virgil van Dijk still sets the standard of play at the position for not just the Premier League but all of world football as a whole.
After playing a crucial role in the Reds winning the Premier League again last season, Van Dijk is off to another fantastic start to the 2025/26 season and has quietly been a legitimate Premier League Player of the Season candidate despite some of the horrid defending and injury woes around him.
Yet it still feels like Van Dijk is more ripe for receiving criticism than rightful praise, and Liverpool manager had a wise reminder for Kopites of why exactly that is the case.
Slot told Liverpool fans at the press conference before the big battle against Manchester City, “He sets the bar at 10/10 and when he has a 9/10, he sometimes gets criticized. I think other players will get compliments for a 9/10, but he gets criticised for that.”
As usual, Van Dijk is a world-class player who is the victim of his own greatness and consistency. People are so used to Van Dijk owning everyone that when the Dutchman doesn’t deliver a mind-blowing performance and is only “great”, people will nitpick little stylistic things as if they are mistakes.
Joe Soriano is the editor of _The Trivela Effect_ and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like _The Real Champs_ (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage _NFL Spin Zone_ and _Daily DDT,_ covering the NFL and pro wrestling.