"Tough" - Neymar praises Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk

Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar has praised Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk.

The Reds signed the Dutchman from Southampton for a transfer fee of £76.19 million back in January 2018.

Since then, Van Dijk has made 189 appearances for the club's first-team. The defender has helped Liverpool win the Champions League, Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, Premier League title, League Cup, FA Cup and Community Shield.

Therefore, we weren't surprised to hear Neymar praise Van Dijk during a recent interview.

“Playing against Van Dijk is tough because as a centre-back, he’s so strong and intelligent,” he told DAZN Canada.

“He knows when it’s the right time to close you down and when to go in for a tackle. That makes it harder. He’s intelligent. It’s harder to play against intelligent centre-backs. They don’t make mistakes.”

Anfield Watch Verdict

Neymar is a world-class forward. He has scored 110 goals and registered 67 assists in 153 appearances for PSG's first-team.

So, praise from Neymar should not be taken lightly. No one needs to tell us that Van Dijk is an elite defender.

But, it is nice to hear opposition footballers praise our players. Van Dijk is contracted until the conclusion of the 2024-25 campaign.

Therefore, the Anfield faithful will be able to sit back and watch the centre-back in action for at least a few more years.