Jason Cundy has gone in hard on Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk after Reds fan Michael called in to defend his team’s centre-back.
That convinced the ex-Chelsea defender Reds no.4 is so overrated, that he claimed he couldn’t lace Premier League legends Rio Ferdinand and John Terry’s boots.
Liverpool maintained their third clean sheet in the Champions League against Rangers on Tuesday, with Van Dijk helping sure-up Jurgen Klopp’s backline.
However, the Reds have not been able to stop this campaign’s leaking of goals. There are many questions about their defenders. – and talkSPORT’s Sports Bar co-host Cundy is one of those doubting their abilities.
Particularly, Van Dijk.
“Van Dijk is nowhere near the top three, four, five or six centre halves in the country right now!” Cundy insisted.
talkSPORT caller and Liverpool fan Michael wasn’t impressed by Cundy’s take, saying Van Dijk has been playing at a top level for years, prompting Jamie O’Hara to also disagree with his co-host.
Cundy was stubborn.
“No he hasn’t! He’s had three good seasons, Michael!” he said.
“He’s no where near Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Sol Campbell. He’s nowhere near it. [I’m not putting him]They are not far from them. He can’t lace their boots!”
Van Dijk is currently with Liverpool for five seasons. He was previously at Southampton for seven years before he established himself in the Premier League.
For Cundy, though, despite winning the league and Champions League among other accolades with Liverpool, Van Dijk doesn’t compare to legendary Premier League centre-halves Ferdinand and Terry.
Ferdinand, an ex-defender for Man United, played 455 games and won numerous titles for the Red Devils, just like John Terry, who made 715 appearances in the Blues’ squad.
And Cundy doesn’t believe Van Dijk will reach the same number of games nor ability levels shown by Ferdinand and Terry – but there are other Premier League stars that could.
“I’m telling you now, Van Dijk is a brilliant centre-half. But the longevity, the injuries have killed him, they have,” Cundy continued.
“Come at me then! [Vincent]Kompany is better for the centre-half and longer term. John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell.”
“Tarkowski has had a better season than him. [Conor] Coady. [Eric] Dier. [William] Saliba.
“This has got to stop. This conversation… He’s been a brilliant centre-half, but this has got to stop. He’s living off some sort of train that didn’t actually leave the station!
“He’s won one Champions League and one Premier League!”
