Liverpool colossus van Dijk insists he wasn’t good enough at 16

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Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has claimed he wasn’t good enough to be a centre-half at the tender age of 16.

The Netherlands international revealed that he was once a struggling right-back, making his ascension to arguably the world’s best centre-half even more impressive.

It’s hard to imagine van Dijk ever struggling given his consistency and dominance in the Premier League today.

The £75 million ace has totally transformed the Reds from merely an attacking threat, to a solid all-round team.

Wherever Liverpool finish in the Premier League come May, it will be difficult to look past him as the PFA Player of the Year, such has been his remarkable form.

‘I was never a standout’

Despite van Dijk’s glowing reputation now, there was a time at Willem II when the star was way off the pace and not developing as he should.

He told BBC Sport: “At 16, I was a slow right-back and wasn’t good enough to play centre-back.

“I was never a standout player until I played for the under-19s and became the captain. Then everything went much better – I played some games for the under-23s and after that it went pretty quickly.”

Over the next couple of years though, van Dijk would develop the immense physical attributes everybody now associates with him

He’s certainly a standout now

van Dijk has been playing a to a level that has made absolutely nobody question his whopping £75 million transfer fee.

Eyebrows were raised at the time, but van Dijk has brought about solidity and leadership and the fans love him for it.

The fact that he struggled as a youngster is a testament to how hard he has worked to get himself on the track to stardom.