da dobrowin： The Dutch defender once dealt with world-class attackers with staggering ease, but he's struggled to get back to his very best after a knee injury

da brdice： Much of the build-up to the 2022 Champions League final focused on whether Liverpool could nullify the threat posed by Karim Benzema, who was already well on his way to winning the Ballon d'Or because of his goalscoring heroics in the knockout stage.

Michael Owen wasn't unduly concerned for his former side, though. Why? Because Liverpool had Virgil van Dijk. "Benzema's not as big as Van Dijk," Owen told GOAL, "he's not as strong as Van Dijk, and he's not as quick as Van Dijk."

And the ex-England international meant no disrespect to the Frenchman, whom he hailed as "a complete No.9". It was more a reflection of how highly he rated Van Dijk. "He's the best centre-half I've ever seen and I've played against some great centre-halves," Owen confessed. "I would argue that you could put any defender in the history of the game against Van Dijk, and I'm not sure there's a better one.

"I mean, who's better than him? I've only been on this planet 40 years but I've not seen anyone! At the minute, he might not go down as the game's greatest ever centre-half, because people will say he's not won everything or he's not yet been at the top for like 20 years. But I struggle to see any fault in him."

GettyDoubts over Van Dijk's greatness

Unfortunately, cracks have appeared in Van Dijk's game over the past year – and some would argue they were even evident before last year's Champions League final, going all the way back to the moment his knee buckled under the pressure of a horrific Jordan Pickford challenge in 2020. Before that, even legends like Franco Baresi were proclaiming Van Dijk the best defender in the world.

"He is the one who really stands out," the Italian icon told , "[because he's] shown the quality, character and strength that a defender needs to be a successful leader of a team like Liverpool."

Things are different now, though. Certainty has given way to doubt. These days, Van Dijk going down as one of the game's greats is no longer given.

Of course, comparisons to the likes of Paolo Maldini had always been ludicrous, an example of the tribalism and recency bias that plagues modern football fandom. Just to quickly put things in context, Van Dijk was still playing for Southampton at 26 years of age; by that stage of Maldini's career, he had already won four Serie A titles and three European Cups with AC Milan, and picked up a World Cup runners-up' medal with Italy.

AdvertisementGettyA colossus at the peak of his powers

Still, Van Dijk at the peak of his powers really was quite something to behold. It was almost impossible to beat him in the air – or on the ground. At one point, more than a year passed before anyone managed to dribble past him in a game. For some dispirited players, there was no point in even trying. Better to give up and save face rather than be humiliated by the ease with which Van Dijk outpaced them before turning and coolly spraying the ball towards a team-mate.

He was almost universally revered by his peers, too. In 2019, the year in which Liverpool won the Champions League and finished second to Manchester City in an epic Premier League title race decided by a solitary point, Van Dijk was named PFA Players' Player of the Year and also presented with UEFA's Defender of the Season award. He also earned the first of three successive inclusions in UEFA's Team of the Year.

But then came the injury.

GettyFrom best in the world to a 'bad place'

On October 17, 2020, Van Dijk was withdrawn just six minutes into the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park after being on the receiving end of a shocking challenge from Everton goalkeeper Pickford that wasn't even deemed worthy of a yellow card – let alone the red it merited. Talk about adding insult to injury!

Van Dijk wouldn't play again that season, and Liverpool collapsed without their defensive colossus, failing to win a single trophy after collecting four in the previous two years combined. Only a remarkable late-season rally saw the Reds qualify for the Champions League.

Those were dark days for Van Dijk. He spent countless hours in the gym working his way back to full fitness, but subsequently admitted that he had been in a "bad place" during his nine-month lay-off, understandably racked by doubts over whether he would return the same player.

In that sense, the 2021-22 campaign was a personal triumph for Van Dijk, who played a pivotal role in Liverpool's brave bid for a historic quadruple after requiring "three or four months" to get back up to speed.

"I feel very good now," he told Rio Ferdinand’s show ahead of that Champions League final with Madrid. "And the funny thing is I can get even better than I am now."

Van Dijk, as Owen had predicted, had few issues with Benzema in Paris, but Liverpool lost a game that they had dominated to a solitary strike from Vinicius Jr. Neither Van Dijk nor Liverpool have really been the same since – and the Dutchman's form hasn't just become a cause for concern on Merseyside, either.

Getty'He makes noise but doesn't say anything'

The difference is that while he remains idolised at Anfield, Van Dijk has come in for some fierce criticism over the past year in his native Netherlands. Ruud Gullit has accused him of both arrogance (without any hint of irony) and defending "passively" since his return from injury, insinuating that he is no longer fully committing to challenges. "Of course he can have a bad period," the former forward told , "but he has to be a leader."

But that's a role to which Gullit's fellow Dutch legend Marco van Basten does not believe that Van Dijk is suited. "He makes noise, but he doesn't say anything," the retired striker told . "He is not clear [in his instructions].

"A good captain thinks aloud, makes it clear what is going on, but Van Dijk just creates chaos. That leads to misunderstandings, which is what you, as a captain, are supposed to prevent."

Again, Gullit agrees, arguing that if both Netherlands and Liverpool have problems at the back, "it is [Van Dijk's] responsibility."