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Fans have reacted to Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk picking his ultimate 5-a-side team, where he snubbed the names of Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammate Mohamed Salah.
During a recent interview with FIFPRO, the Dutch defender was asked to pick his ultimate 5-a-side team. He started the game by choosing his Liverpool goalkeeper, Alisson Becker. He said:
"So, in goal, I'll go with Alisson Becker, obviously my goalkeeper at Liverpool. What a goalkeeper, what a guy. Definitely the best goalkeeper I've played with."
He then picked himself as the only defender. Later, Van Dijk took the name of former Barcelona forward, Ronaldinho, as the left winger. He also lauded the Brazilian legend as his idol in the sport. The Reds skipper chose Lionel Messi for the right wing.
He added:
"I will put on the left, Ronaldinho, my idol, my legend. The guy I always looked up to when I was young. On the right, I'll put Lionel Messi, arguably one of the best players of all time."
While picking up the striker, Virgil van Dijk decided to name Ronaldo Nazario, saying that the Brazilian forward had everything. The Dutchman also stated that Ronaldo playing for PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch league also helped him make the decision.
"And as a striker, I'll put Ronaldo. The Brazilian Ronaldo. Just because he was, he had it all, in my opinion. Also knowing that he played in Holland for a little bit, that creates a little bit of that extra."
Fans started reacting to the post as soon as the video clip of Virgil van Dijk choosing his 5-a-side team went viral. A few fans lauded the Reds skipper for his football knowledge while some suggested that he is a Lionel Messi fanboy.
"He's the biggest messi fan out there," a user wrote.
"This guy knows ball. Won't forget how he said only Messi deserved the Ballon d'Or in 2019, he understands the game," another fan commented.
Here are a few more fan reactions:
In 2019, Virgil van Dijk ended second in the race for the Ballon d'Or behind Argentine playmaker Lionel Messi, with a difference of only seven points.
Liverpool forward makes claim after a 1-1 draw against Arsenal
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah recently took to social media and addressed fans after the Reds played a 1-1 draw against Arsenal on Saturday (December 23) at Anfield. Before the game against the Gunners, the Reds also dropped points against Erik ten Hag's Manchester United at home.
Talking about the 1-1 draw, the Egyptian forward stated they can't keep dropping points if they want to secure the Premier League title. Moreover, the Reds will keep fighting and will look forward to performing better in the upcoming games.
He captioned the post:
"We know we can’t keep dropping points like this and we will keep fighting to do better."
The Reds are currently in the second spot in the Premier League with 39 points, tied with Unai Emery's Aston Villa. Next up, Liverpool will lock horns with Burnley in the Premier League in their last match of the year on December 26 (Tuesday).
