'I have nice pictures': Giroud brags about getting the better of 'very tough' Liverpool man

By Shamanth Jayaram

AC Milan and France striker Olivier Giroud has named Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk as one of the best defenders he has ever played against.

The Dutchman is undoubtedly the best in the Premier League. As much as Mo Salah, Alisson and Jurgen Klopp deserve credit for helping the Reds become one of the best sides in the world, van Dijk arguably deserves more.

He came in for big money and was under immense pressure from the media. However, nothing bothered him and he has been absolutely immense for Liverpool, helping them win the Champions League and the Premier League.

Giroud has faced van Dijk plenty of times over the years, first while he was at Arsenal and later at Chelsea. He believes that he got the better of the Dutchman on a few occasions.

Giroud: Virgil van Dijk is one of the best in the world

The Frenchman sat down for a chat on The Big Interview with Graham Hunter, where he was asked about the best defender he has played against in his career so far.

Giroud replied: “I have to say that I had very tough duels with Virgil van Dijk when we played Chelsea against Liverpool.

“Yeah, he’s one of the best I think.

“But, I can say that I scored a few goals against Liverpool when he did play. So, I have nice pictures also that my friends send me of duels with him”

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Giroud was never really given the credit he deserves by the media for what he achieved at Arsenal and Chelsea. He scored over 140 goals during his time in England, which is an excellent return for someone who missed as many chances as he did.

However, his record against van Dijk isn’t really great with respect to wins. Giroud has played the Dutchman on 12 occasions in all competitions and has ended up on the winning side just four times.

However, in those 12 games, he has managed to score five goals, which is better than many other strikers’ records against the Liverpool superstar.