'He is up there' - Liverpool star Van Dijk among the best defenders in the world, says Bayern Munich's Boateng

Dom Farrell

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'He is up there' - Liverpool star Van Dijk among the best defenders in the world, says Bayern Munich's Boateng image

Virgil van Dijk is among the best centre-backs in world football according to Bayern Munich's Jerome Boateng.

Former Germany international Boateng has enjoyed a renaissance at Bayern this season, impressing alongside David Alaba at the heart of defence after Hansi Flick replaced Niko Kovac as head coach to guide the Bavarian giants to an eighth consecutive Bundesliga title.

However he feels Van Dijk, now himself a top-flight champion after Liverpool clinched Premier League glory on Thursday, stands apart among the elite.

"He is up there with his consistent performance," Boateng said during a Bayern 'Fan-Talk'. "But I also like [Kalidou] Koulibaly from Napoli. [Sergio] Ramos from Real Madrid has been playing at a high level for a long time."

Van Dijk himself has declared that Liverpool took their season to "another level" after claiming a long-awaited league title. 

"It's unbelievable, what a season. We've been incredible," Van Dijk told  BT Sport.  "To be part of this group of players and part of this journey is incredible and I am very proud to be able to call myself a Premier League winner.

"Of course, I watched the [Man City/Chelsea] game. I don't watch too many games but the game felt like it was taking ages and never ended. When the free-kick went in from Kevin [De Bruyne] - what an incredible goal by the way - I was getting nervous, and I haven't been nervous in a while.

"But after that it was just celebration time and we are all proud of each other. I can't really describe the feeling to be honest.

"In the league this year we have taken it to another level. We have been so consistent and played so well."

As for his own upturn, the 31-year-old Boateng is keen to give plenty of credit to Flick.

"Since Hansi Flick became coach, you feel good in training and in everything. The fun and good mood are back," he explained. "Hansi is very special, otherwise he would not be so successful with the team.

"He gives us a lot of trust, everyone. He wants to improve everyone and he does that. He gives us an incredible amount of self-confidence."

Dom Farrell

Dom Farrell Photo

Dom is the senior content producer for Sporting News UK. He previously worked as fan brands editor for Manchester City at Reach Plc. Prior to that, he built more than a decade of experience in the sports journalism industry, primarily for the Stats Perform and Press Association news agencies. Dom has covered major football events on location, including the entirety of Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup in Paris and St Petersburg respectively, along with numerous high-profile Premier League, Champions League and England international matches. Cricket and boxing are his other major sporting passions and he has covered the likes of Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Wladimir Klitschko, Gennadiy Golovkin and Vasyl Lomachenko live from ringside.