The best centre back pairing I’ve seen at Liverpool is Hansen-Lawrenson, and the best centre backs individually have been Hansen and Lawrenson. I wonder now, though, whether Van Dijk may surpass them. Like both these great players from the past he seems to be able to purr through a game with a reserve engine, just in case. When he uses it it’s soul-destroying for the opposition and it’s almost as if, having been on the end of it once, they don’t want to provoke him a second time.
But what’s really exciting is that, in Matip and Lovren, VVD has two highly competent partners, and in Gomez a third who could even reach his own exalted level.