‘He’s a Rolls Royce’: Sky Sports pundit raves about Liverpool player who ‘people are scared of’

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Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has been described as a “Rolls Royce” by Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson, who believes opponents are “scared of him”.

Jurgen Klopp’s Reds return to Premier League action on Sunday night after the three-month hiatus due to the global health crisis.

The Anfield side can take a step closer to winning their first English top-flight title in 30 years in Sunday night’s Merseyside derby away at Everton.

Van Dijk has enjoyed another impressive season with Liverpool and has played a key role in the club’s push for the title, further cementing his role as one of the world’s best defenders.

However, Toffees ace Richarlison claimed there are better defenders in world football than Van Dijk and also reminded the Dutchman that he is one of the few players to have dribbled past him.

When asked about Van Dijk in an interview with Desimpedidos, as quoted by The Mirror, Richarlison replied: “People talk a lot about him, yes he is a great defender but I’ve already dribbled past him. He was chosen as one of the top three in the world as he had an excellent season. But yes, for me there are better defenders.”

However, Merson feels that, despite the Brazilian’s claims, Van Dijk installs a fear factor into opposition players who don’t believe they are capable of getting past him.

“It’s a hard one,” the former Arsenal star told Sky Sports – as quoted by the Liverpool Echo – when asked about Richarlison’s comments.

“Ramos has been around a long time – he’s scored more goals than some centre-forwards have scored in their careers.

“I think with Van Dijk, he has a reputation, people are scared of him. People don’t go past him, they square up and think, ‘Oh my god, it’s Virgil van Dijk, I can’t get past him!’.

“I think that’s the problem, he gets good cover. He’s a Rolls Royce. Is he the best in the world? I’ll have to see when the World Cup comes around and who he’s playing against.”

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Given the fiercely contested nature of the Merseyside derby, Richarlison’s comments about Van Dijk have been perceived as the throwing down of the gauntlet, and it’ll be interesting to see how the two players fare when they lock horns at Goodison Park on Sunday.

Merson, meanwhile, acknowledged that Van Dijk is a “Rolls Royce” of a player with a reputation that precedes him, but he appeared to defer judgement until the next World Cup, though with that in mind, the Netherlands have also qualified for the postponed Euro 2020.

Really, there’s no doubting Van Dijk’s abilities and influence – Liverpool’s defence was somewhat rickety prior to his arrival at Anfield in 2018, and since then, the Reds have gone on to reach the highest highs, with Premier League glory now finally within their reach.