Former Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack has claimed that Virgil van Dijk is “lucky” to be considered one of the best defenders in the Premier League.
Ballack, who played in the Premier League for seven seasons, said that van Dijk has not had to face the same level of competition as some of the other great defenders in the league’s history.
“Virgil van Dijk is very lucky to play in an era where there is no [Didier] Drogba, [Frank] Lampard, Alan Shearer, [Thierry] Henry, [Wayne] Rooney, [Robin] Van Persie, [Carlos] Tevez, [Emmanuel] Adebayor and Diego Costa in the Premier League,” Ballack told Sky Sports. “No wonder they think he is the best defender in the league.”
Ballack’s comments have been met with mixed reactions from fans and pundits. Some have agreed with Ballack, saying that van Dijk has not had to face the same level of competition as some of the other great strikers in the Premier League. Others have disagreed, saying that van Dijk is a world-class defender in his own right and would have been successful in any era.
Van Dijk himself has not responded to Ballack’s comments. However, he has previously said that he believes he is one of the best defenders in the world.
“I think I am one of the best defenders in the world,” van Dijk said in an interview with The Guardian in 2019. “I have the confidence to say that. I have worked hard to get to this level and I want to keep improving.”
Only time will tell whether van Dijk is truly one of the greatest defenders in Premier League history. However, there is no doubt that he is one of the best defenders in the world right now.