Jordan Henderson: Virgil van Dijk is an unbelievable defender

The Liverpool captain also went onto add that he believes the Dutchman deserves every accolade he has won.

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has been hailed by club captain Jordan Henderson for the impact he’s made at the club since arriving in January 2018.

In an interview with BT Sport, Jordan Henderson was asked about the elements which Van Dijk has brought to the club and how he’s improved Jurgen Klopp’s side. He said, “What hasn’t he brought, really?"

“I couldn’t speak highly enough of him as a player. Of course, everybody knows how good he is and what he’s done over the last couple of years for the team, he’s been immense. He’s won his individual awards and rightly so. He’s an unbelievable defender, an unbelievable player." 

“But for me, he’s brought something huge off the pitch. I couldn’t speak highly enough of him off the pitch and the type of man and person that he is,” he also added.

Jordan Henderson has insisted that the Dutch defender is an exemplary dressing room leader and how delighted he is for the centre-back getting so many accolades for his impressive work.

“He’s an incredible person, a great leader to have in the dressing room and he’s given everybody a big boost from the first minute that he came in," he said. 

“Every day it’s a pleasure to be around him, [he’s] always smiling, always in a good frame of mind and he’s had a huge impact in the dressing room and on the pitch since he’s been at the club."

“He does things properly, leads by example and I’m just delighted for him [with] how he’s been playing and getting all the awards that he’s been getting because it’s well deserved and he deserves everything he gets,” he further added.

Van Dijk has completely revolutionized Liverpool’s backline since arriving at the club in 2018, helping them maintain among the best defensive records since last season. The Reds have only conceded 21 goals in 29 games, the least for any side in the league. Not just that, but they’ve also kept 12 clean-sheets with Van Dijk at helm, the most for any team in the league.

The Dutchman’s excellent work saw him win UEFA’s Men’s Player of the Year award last year and he came runner-up to Lionel Messi in the Ballon d’Or and FIFA’s The Best Men’s Player award.