"His level went up and up" - Dirk Kuyt says Liverpool star is 'now right up there at his best'

Former Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt feels Reds star Virgil van Dijk is now back to his best after returning from a long-term injury at the start of the 2021-22 season.

Jurgen Klopp's side lost their Premier League title to Manchester City last campaign. Many would point towards Liverpool's injury crisis as the reason why they failed to retain their crown, with Van Dijk arguably being the biggest miss.

The Netherlands international suffered a serious ligament injury against Everton in the Reds' fifth league game of last season. Van Dijk was then sidelined for the rest of the campaign as a result.

He returned to action for the Merseyside-based club at the start of the current season. While the centre-back showed signs of being rusty in his first matches, he has slowly returned to his best.

Kuyt has now expressed his delight at how Van Dijk has bounced back from last season's setback. The former Liverpool forward also heaped praise on Klopp for managing his fellow countryman well. He told GOAL:

“He [Van Dijk] is doing great. I follow every Liverpool game, of course, and to see him come back like he has, it’s so impressive. It’s not easy to come back from such a tough injury. I think it was a very good decision from Jurgen to play him just once a week at the start of the season. You could see he was growing. And then when Jurgen trusted him to play twice a week, his level just went up and up. He’s now right up there at his best."

Van Dijk has played 38 matches across all competitions for Liverpool this season. He has found the back of the net thrice in the process, while providing an assist as well.

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How much has Van Dijk's return helped Liverpool?

The Merseyside-based club struggled to cope without the 30-year-old defender last season. They just about managed to finish in the top four of the Premier League, but had no success in cup competitions.

However, the Reds appear to have returned to their best this campaign, with Van Dijk back in the side. They have already won their first trophy of the season in the shape of the EFL Cup and remain active in the other three competitions they are a part of.

In the Premier League, the Anfield outfit are just one point behind Manchester City, who they are scheduled to face in the FA Cup semi-finals next month. Klopp's side have also been pitted against Benfica in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.