"He’s obviously one of the best" - Former Chelsea player Gary Cahill heaps praises on Liverpool superstar

Former Chelsea defender Gary Cahill has hailed Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk as one of the best players in the world. The Englishman, who last played for AFC Bournemouth before hanging up his boots last summer, lavished praise on the Netherlands international.

Cahill said (via Liverpool Echo):

“Massive player. Early on in his career, I remember playing against him. He was at Southampton, almost learning his way there. Got his move to Liverpool. The rest speaks for itself, he’s obviously one of the best centre-backs in the world, I think. Seems a big character.”

The former Chelsea defender added:

“Quick, strong, aggressive, can play. Again, all the attributes you need to be a top player in European football, not just the Premier League.”

Liverpool signed Van Dijk from Southampton in January 2018 for a club-record fee of £75 million. The Dutch defender has been a stalwart centre-back under Jurgen Klopp.

He helped end the Merseyside outfit's 30-year wait for a Premier League title in 2020 and played an instrumental role in the club's Champions League victory the year prior.

Van Dijk was also named in the FIFA Best XI for last season. The Netherlands international has made 212 appearances across competitions for Liverpool since his arrival, recording 19 goals and 11 assists.

The Reds have had a rather underwhelming 2022/23 campaign by their standards. Klopp's side are sixth in the Premier League table at the moment and have spent the majority of the season outside the top six.

"It’s not enough" - Liverpool legend details what Chelsea target must do to be considered world-class

Liverpool legend Graeme Souness has criticized Chelsea target Declan Rice and highlighted what he must do to improve. The Englishman seems to believe the West Ham United skipper is not a world-class talent yet.

Rice has been the talk of the town in the Premier League this season. He has attracted interest from various outfits including Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United.

However, Souness claims the England international still has a long way to go in becoming a top-level midfielder. The former Reds star told the Daily Mail:

"In an earlier column this season, I wrote that Declan Rice still had much to prove in certain areas of his game to be regarded as a really top-class central midfield player. He needs to get on the half-turn more when he receives the ball from his defenders and play it forward more, and not be content with going back to where it came from and square with his passes."

He added:

"He needs to get on the half-turn more when he receives the ball from his defenders and play it forward more, and not be content with going back to where it came from and square with his passes."

Chelsea are currently tenth in the Premier League table amid a disappointing season under Graham Potter.