Virgil van Dijk is undoubtedly one of the greatest defenders in the world right now and Rio Ferdinand held a similar standing during his time as a player.
Speaking with Jamie Redknapp, Phil Jones was asked to select between both men and said: “Rio [Ferdinand] has everything you want from a modern-day centre-half.
“He’s commanding, great on the ball, and he was a threat in both boxes.”
“I think he [Van Dijk] still would’ve been top, I gotta go with Van Dijk just because what he has given Liverpool for these five to six years has been incredible.
“He might have had a dip in form over the previous four to five months, but he’s right up there again now.
“I think about the players we would come up against when we were fighting for titles, so you watch Liverpool and think, ‘How are we gonna score if Van Dijk is on the pitch?’.
“He’s a top player. I can’t deny that, so I’ll go with Van Dijk.”
Given his position as a former teammate of the Old Trafford defender, it’s quite the statement to select our man as the best player.
Many Manchester United fans won’t be happy with Phil Jones
Few of a red persuasion will disagree that our captain is the superior option but when you hear it from someone who has a foot in the opposite camp, it adds even more weight.
With the 46-year-old also stating that Arne Slot’s side are favourites to win the Champions League at the moment, it almost feels like we’re living in an alternate reality!
After his update last night, let’s hope that the Dutchman can add more salt to Manchester wounds but signing a new contract to extend his Anfield stay.
You can watch Jones’s comments on Ferdinand and Van Dijk via @SkySportsPL on X:
Virgil van Dijk or Rio Ferdinand…
Phil Jones picks his favourite pic.twitter.com/m5LJu9RNMu
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 11, 2024
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