Brazilian icon Neymar has heaped praise on Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk despite the Dutchman's slow start to the Premier League season.
Paris Saint-Germain's number 10 has come up against some of the very best defenders European football has to offer during his time at Barcelona and in the French capital. One of the game's most mercurial talents, Neymar can often be a divisive character but his ability is simply not up for debate.
With that in mind, Brazil's second all-time top goalscorer has discussed the talent of those he has faced over the years. And in what may come as a surprise to some, Neymar has heralded Manchester City star Kyle Walker as his toughest ever opponent.
However, He is also a huge fan of Van Dijk. Neymar told DAZN: "Playing against Van Dijk is tough because as a centre-back he's so strong and intelligent.
"He knows when it's the right time to close you down and when to go in for a tackle. That makes it harder." Neymar's compliment marks the first time Van Dijk has come in for some flattery in recent weeks after a miserable start to the campaign.
After giving away a penalty at Fulham on the opening day of the season, Van Dijk's form is yet to reach its usual level with his most recent display away at Napoli sparking further fears he will be way off the pace for some time.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Where does Van Dijk rank among the best defenders on the continent? Comment below
The Serie A outfit ran riot, beating Jurgen Klopp's men 4-1 in a contest that saw Van Dijk concede another spot-kick. Just days before that clash in Naples, ex-Reds midfielder Danny Murphy suggested the 31-year-old has failed to truly recover from the anterior cruciate ligament injury he suffered in October 2020.
"He's not up to his level. Before his injury he was arguably looking like one of the best centre-halves we've ever seen," Murphy told talkSPORT.
"The injury, which is a huge one and he’s come back from, although he's not had problems in missing games, I think psychologically he’s not in the same place. What I mean by that is not wanting to be as physically engaged with players and tackles.
"He's playing within himself a little bit and protecting himself a little bit without knowing it. I’ve played with players who have had ACL injuries before and when they come back you can see them doing it."
The entire Reds backline has hardly been anywhere near their collective best this term, keeping just two clean sheets in six attempts in the Premier League.
