Erling Haaaland has reiterated that Virgil van Dijk is the toughest defender he has come up against in his career so far.
The prolific striker has forged a reputation as one of the most ruthless finishers in European football, scoring 80 goals in 79 games since moving to Borussia Dortmund in January 2020.
Van Dijk has faced off against Haaland three times for club and country, with the Norwegian striker having scored twice.
However, despite enjoying relative success against the Liverpool man, Haaland still regards Van Dijk as his best opponent to date.
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When asked by Sky Sports who the toughest defender he had faced was, Haaland replied, “Virgil van Dijk I said before. He was really good.
“How tall he is, how strong he is, how fast he is, but also the timing.
“I don't think I won one duel against him. Sergio Ramos was really smart and good so either one of them.”
The 21-year-old previously described Van Dijk as “the best defender” in world football, ahead of Norway's clash against the Netherlands in August, in which Haaland got on the scoresheet.
The pair first met when Liverpool faced off against Haaland’s former side Red Bull Salzburg during the Champions League group stage, where he scored at Anfield in a 4-3 win for the Reds in 2019.
During the interview with Sky Sports Haaland admitted to watching Jamie Vardy as a way to improve his game and Van Dijk can certainly see the resemblance.
"Haaland is also a special striker: he’s strong, he’s quick and he’s got all the attributes to make a defender’s life very, very difficult,” the Liverpool defender said in October, highlighting the mutual respect between both players.
"The first time [playing against him] was when he came on at Anfield and scored for Salzburg. He was very quick, aggressive, very direct.
"It's a bit like how Jamie Vardy plays, but Haaland is maybe a little bit stronger than Vardy."
