Jude Bellingham has labelled Virgil van Dijk 'too good' after naming the Liverpool defender in his EA Sports FIFA Team of the Year.
The Dutch defender was a mainstay throughout the Reds' defence in 2022, playing a starring role as Jurgen Klopp's side claimed two trophies and came agonisingly close to winning the Champions League and Premier League.
Also heaping praise on Joel Matip and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Bellingham recognised the performances of the Liverpool duo though opted for alternative players in their positions when selecting his starting eleven.
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Alexander-Arnold came close to making the cut in his squad, though the England international went on to make clear why he opted for PSG's Achraf Hakimi instead. "I'm not picking between the English guys, I'm going to go with Hakimi because I'm not picking between Trent and Walks [Kyle Walker]," he explained. "I will take Hakimi because he was amazing at the World Cup and I won't get killed for picking him."
Continuing on the topic of defenders, Bellingham continued: "Matip had a really good year, actually. He was good to watch. I think Van Dijk always, man. He is too good. I will put him in and next to him, Militao."
Liverpool supporters will, of course, be hoping they could be seeing the 19-year-old line up alongside Matip and Van Dijk next season, amid growing speculation over the teenager's future in Germany. Jurgen Klopp's side are extremely keen on Bellingham, but will likely have to spend in excess of £100million to stand a chance of recruiting one of Europe's brightest prospects.
Bellingham's Team of the Year in full: Thibaut Courtois, Joao Cancelo, Virgil van Dijk, Eder Militao, Achraf Hakimi, Kevin De Bruyne, Luka Modric, Federico Valverde, Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe.
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