Jaap Stam says Premier League star is ‘better’ than John Terry and Nemanja Vidic

Jaap Stam believes a existent Premier League defender is ‘better’ than Chelsea fable John Terry and Manchester United leader Nemanja Vidic.

Terry established himself arsenic 1 of the top defenders successful Premier League past during astir 2 decades astatine Stamford Bridge, lifting 5 league titles, 8 home cups and the Champions League with his beloved Chelsea.

Vidic enjoyed akin occurrence astatine Old Trafford, helping Sir Alex Ferguson’s United triumph 5 Premier League trophies and the Champions League portion reaching 2 much finals.

Terry and Vidic are considered to beryllium 2 of the champion defenders the Premier League has ever seen but Stam, different all-time great, believes Virgil van Dijk is supra some successful presumption of ‘overall ability’.

Van Dijk has been 1 of the stand-out players successful the English top-flight for the champion portion of a decade, helping Liverpool end their agelong hold for a Premier League trophy and besides lifting the Champions League astatine Anfield.

The Netherlands planetary turned 33 past summertime but shows nary signs of slowing down and is enjoying a sensational season, Premier League leaders Liverpool conceding conscionable 20 goals successful 21 league games.

‘Virgil van Dijk is 1 of the top defenders successful Premier League past and radical often notation Nemanja Vidic and John Terry – Van Dijk is simply a amended subordinate than those 2 were,’ Manchester United treble-winner Stam told BoyleSports.

‘I complaint him supra them due to the fact that of his wide quality arsenic a player, it’s better. There are different names I could speech astir but Van Dijk is up determination with the champion ever successful the Premier League.

‘What we spot present is him inactive performing astatine the highest level adjacent though it’s nether a caller manager and I deliberation Arne Slot expects adjacent much of him than Jurgen Klopp did.’

Van Dijk is one of 3 cardinal Liverpool players who volition beryllium retired of declaration travel the extremity of the season on with Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Salah has repeatedly discussed his Reds aboriginal successful public, saying helium has been ‘disappointed’ by Liverpool’s stance during declaration talks, portion Alexander-Arnold has attracted involvement from Real Madrid.

Van Dijk has grabbed little headlines than his 2 Anfield team-mates but Stam says Liverpool volition unrecorded to regret it if helium leaves successful the summer.

‘Virgil van Dijk is inactive showing his quality, he’s inactive precise fit, he’s a existent professional,’ Stam added. ‘He’s besides preparing his assemblage to beryllium acceptable for the adjacent crippled arsenic soon arsenic 1 crippled has finished.

‘If they don’t springiness him a caller contract, I don’t deliberation they recognize football. 

‘But I deliberation Liverpool are precise omniscient erstwhile it comes to gathering a team, bringing players in, and giving different players caller contracts.

‘I judge they’re moving connected that and trying to support them wrong the nine and I deliberation that would beryllium a precise omniscient determination to bash so.’

Van Dijk helped Liverpool support different cleanable expanse connected Saturday arsenic the Reds scored 2 injury-time goals to bushed Brentford 2-0.

Liverpool’s time got adjacent amended arsenic Arsenal threw distant a two-goal pb to gully 2-2 with Aston Villa successful the precocious kick-off.

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