'Incredible': Darren Bent ranks Van Dijk's position in all-time PL centre-backs after 300th Liverpool appearance
Yesterday at 12:00 PM
Liverpool’s win over Ipswich Town last Saturday was not one of their more notable victories of the campaign.
The Reds have become used to winning under Arne Slot and the visit of Kieran McKenna’s team was never going to be a huge test for them.
Nevertheless, for captain Virgil van Dijk, it was a big day in his Liverpool career.
Seven years on from his £75m arrival in 2018, Van Dijk racked up his 300th game in a Liverpool shirt against Ipswich.
Aside from suffering 10 months out with a knee injury in 2020, the Dutchman has been a constant in the Reds starting XI, staking his claim to be one of the all-time great Premier League defenders.
And with Virgil going 300 not out, former England striker Darren Bent has ranked where the 33-year-old sits in terms of the division’s best ever centre-backs.
Darren Bent ranks Virgil van Dijk
Van Dijk will undoubtedly go down as one of the best ever players in Liverpool’s history. If his story at Anfield continues beyond this season, his legacy will only deepen.
According to Bent, though, there are still three Premier League defenders who were better than the Netherlands captain.
“It’s huge, at a club like Liverpool to make that amount of appearances and be the main man for the whole time he’s been here, I think he’s been incredible,” said the pundit, reacting to Van Dijk’s third century of matches.
“I think he is one of the very best in Premier League history, that goes without saying. He wouldn’t be at the top of my list but he’d be in the top five for sure. He’s just been so integral.”
“He has been incredible for Liverpool,” Bent continued. “There were times at Liverpool where no one could get past him. He was too quick, he was too strong, he read the game really well, he could pass as good as anyone.
“My top five would be Rio [Ferdinand], then JT [John Terry], then probably [Vincent] Kompany, then Virgil probably and then it’s a pick between Sol [Campbell], Jaap Stam, Tony Adams.”
What’s the latest on Van Dijk’s future?
There is still a possibility that Van Dijk’s time in the Premier League ends this summer. As things stand, he is set to leave Liverpool when his contract finishes at the end of the season.
And although there has been confidence that Van Dijk will stay with the Reds, nothing is done on that front yet.
| Games | Wins | Draws | Losses |
| 300 | 209 | 47 | 44 |
Speaking on Tuesday, journalist James Pearce dismissed suggestions that Van Dijk has already signed his new deal and Liverpool are holding off for Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold to do the same before making an official announcement.
Although it seems unthinkable that Liverpool would allow Virgil to walk for nothing while he’s still at the peak of his powers, we are getting dangerously close to that reality.
