REUTERS/Phil Noble
Ahead of the 2026/27 Premier League season, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk was asked to name the best player he's ever played with. Unable to narrow down his answer to just one, he ended up picking five, and still managed to leave some huge footballers out - perhaps most notably, Sadio Mane.
Considered one of the greatest defenders ever, Van Dijk - affectionately nicknamed 'Colossus' at Anfield - has been blessed with an illustrious career. While he was something of an unknown quantity during his spells at Groningen, Southampton and Celtic, the Dutchman became one of the key pieces of the puzzle in unlocking a period of unprecedented success for Jurgen Klopp on Merseyside.
His trophy cabinet includes two Premier League titles, a Champions League, and prestigious individual awards such as the UEFA Player of the Year in 2019. But without some incredible players alongside him, he would never have reached such dizzying heights.
Van Dijk Names 5 Best Teammates in his Career, Leaving Out Sadio Mane
Reuters/ Lee Smith
Mane played 199 games with Van Dijk, combining for three goals across nearly 16,000 minutes together. Despite that, the latter felt five other players were more deserving of being named among his best teammates than the Senegalese, who is up there among the Reds' greatest players. Instead of him, Van Dijk listed (watch below):
Ibrahima Konate
Ibrahima Konate
Laughing that he had accidentally created a five-a-side team with his picks, Van Dijk's choices can hardly raise any eyebrows. Firmino, Salah and Alisson all joined the club around the same time as him and played instrumental roles in helping him achieve the success he's enjoyed in English football.
Meanwhile, Wesley Sneijder is widely regarded as one of the most underrated players of all time, while Robin van Persie - second among the Netherlands' all-time top goalscorers - has left an indelible mark on his country's football history. Together, Van Dijk's five picks certainly pack plenty of star power.
Sadio Mane's Liverpool Career
Sadio Mane
Sadio Mane
Mane came, saw, and conquered during his six years at Liverpool. He was Klopp's first senior signing, and the rest, as they say, is history. In 269 appearances, the Senegalese winger scored 120 goals, provided his teammates with 40 assists, and won the Champions League and Premier League in 2019 and 2020.
What's more, he always did his business in such a fashion, ensuring that he would never not leave as a legend of the club, even if he sometimes had to contend with playing in the shadow of his African teammate on the other flank.
The amount of charity work he has done behind the scenes is admirable, and many players of his generation could certainly take some lessons from the now-Al Nassr forward.