Virgil van Dijk is adamant that Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher would not have been able to get into Jurgen Klopp’s current Reds side.
Carragher made 737 appearances during a 17-year Anfield career, second only to Ian Callaghan in Liverpool 's all-time charts, and was a vital member of the Reds sides that won the Champions League in 2005 and the treble in 2001. Meanwhile, he'd also lift the FA Cup again in 2006, win two more League Cups in 2003 and 2012 and also two European Super Cups.
Yet when asked by former Manchester United Gary Neville in the Liverpool legend would have been good enough to start for Klopp’s side, in a fans’ Q&A section of ‘ The Overlap ’, the Dutchman insisted Carragher wouldn’t even get in the squad ahead of the likes of Ibrahima Konate and Joel Matip.
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“Like the squad or the XI? Not even the full squad,” he said dismissively to Neville’s great amusement. “Not in the first 20, he’d be in the stands. Yeah (I mean that).
“You have two centre-backs playing. Hopefully I’m playing, and Joe Gomez now. You have Matip and Konate. You’re not going to put a third centre-back on the bench.
“No (he wouldn’t get in ahead of them) and I’m dead serious as well. Do you think he was better than Konate and Matip? He played many, many games for Liverpool but I think in the modern day game, Matip and Konate would be ahead of him.”
Meanwhile, Van Dijk also seemingly hinted that he had taken issue with some of the criticism he has faced this season when insisting he has no interest in being a pundit in England when he retires. Ruling out even joining Carragher on ‘Monday Night Football’, he then shared mild surprise at Neville revealing the Reds legend was a big fan of the Dutchman and offered a frosty response.
“I will rule that out. I’m not going to be a pundit on English television I think,” he said. “No, (I’m not going to go on Monday Night Football with Jamie Carragher either). No chance!”
“Does he?” he said when told of Carragher’s admiration for him. “Whenever it suits him. Nah, Carra’s alright.”
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