What's the story?
Liverpool's Brazilian midfielder Fabinho has admitted that the only player he has ever seen dispossess Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk in training is Roberto Firmino.
In case you didn't know...
Van Dijk has been brilliant for Liverpool ever since joining them for £75 million from Southampton in the 2018 January transfer window.
The Dutchman featured in all of the Reds' league games last season, helping them finish the campaign with the best defensive record in the division. He averaged 1 tackle and 5.2 clearances per game in the Premier League last season.
Moreover, the 28-year-old was not dribbled past by a single player over the course of the 2018-19 season.
His exploits earned him the PFA Players' Player of the Year accolade, along with a place in the PFA Team of the Year and the Champions League Team of the Season.
Fabinho, meanwhile, joined Liverpool from AS Monaco last summer and established himself as an integral part of the team despite struggling during his initial few months at the club.
Also see : Manchester united Transfer News, Arsenal Transfer News, Liverpool Tranfer News
The heart of the matter
Speaking to De Sola, Fabinho revealed that Firmino is the only play who has successfully taken the ball away from Van Dijk in training.
He said: "I'm usually on his team, thank God. The only guy I've ever seen winning a ball from him in training was Firmino. Only once."
What's next?
Fabinho recently linked up with his teammates at Melwood for pre-season training and is likely to feature in the Reds' friendly against Tranmere Rovers on July 12.
On the other hand, van Dijk is still enjoying the extra holidays afforded to him following his exertions in the UEFA Nations League with the Dutch national team.