Virgil van Dijk gives Liverpool a brilliant ‘Hail Mary’ option

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Liverpool fans were once again left singing the praises of their £75 million centre-back Virgil van Dijk last night. He scored the late equaliser that saw the Dutch clinch a place in the UEFA Nations League finals along with England, Portugal and Switzerland.

The defender was thrown up front in a last-ditch move by Dutch coach Ronald Koeman and it paid off dividends. The centre-back showcased his surprising technique to fire in a volley from Tonny Vilhena’s cross to send the Dutch fans into a frenzy against their rivals.

It was surely a moment that Jurgen Klopp will put in his thinking cap. Just like Joe Gomez’s long-throw that helped England break down a stubborn Croatia, it may not be a pretty option. However, it was certainly effective.

Liverpool are going for silverware this season but it is going to be a tight call in all competitions. If the Reds find themselves trailing late on in a game, they now have a genuine hail mary option in throwing the powerful defender up front.

Klopp is not averse to such a move either. Who can forget Steven Caulker being thrown up top in the infamous 5-4 win over Norwich City in January 2016?

If rolling the dice late on with van Dijk this season results in two points redeemed it could prove the difference between Liverpool winning a trophy or going empty-handed once again.

It is certainly nice to have a plan Z should things be going in the wrong direction for Klopp and Liverpool.