Jamie Carragher defends Liverpool superstar despite dropoff this season, claims he's better than Manchester United legend

Jamie Carragher has offered a fierce defence of Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk amid a dropoff this season by claiming that the Dutchman is better than Manchester United hero Nemanja Vidic.

The Anfield icon reacted to a tweet about Van Dijk's stagnating season in the aftermath of Liverpool's 2-2 Premier League draw with Arsenal on Sunday (April 9), where the Dutch defender struggled. The tweet read:

"Virgil Van Dijk's drop off is actually insane. People were comparing him to Terry, Kompany, Rio and Vidic."

Carragher hit back, insisting that Van Dijk is a better player than Vidic. He alluded to the Dutchman's impact at Merseyside and the fact that Vidic struggled against Fernando Torres during the height of the Spaniard's career:

"VVD is far better than Vidic, who was a top CB, but have you forgot his performances against Torres? Rio & JT had poor seasons in their career like all players, VVD is having one now. No CB in the PL era has ever had VVD’s impact on a team."

The pundit continued his assessment of Van Dijk by claiming him to be one of the best Premier League players in the last four years:

"Never mind the best CB in the league; he’s been the best player in the league along with KDB for four years before this one. We have never spoken about about other CBs being the best player before, that shows the level he was at."

Van Dijk joined Liverpool from Southampton in 2018 for £75 million and has put in some truly sensational performances.

It hasn't just been his defensive abilities that have wowed fans, but his world-class presence on the ball has been remarkable over the years. He has made 214 appearances since joining Jurgen Klopp's side, winning the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup.

However, this season has been a struggle for Van Dijk, who has lost a yard of pace and seemed erratic and nervy at times. He has featured 33 times across competitions, scoring three goals and helping his side keep 11 clean sheets.

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Liverpool's Van Dijk compared with Manchester United legend Vidic

Vidic (above) was a rock in Manchester United's defence.

Nemanja Vidic arrived at Manchester United from Spartak Moscow in 2005 for just £7 million. The Serbian centre-back was a monster in the Red Devils' defence alongside Rio Ferdinand.

Nicknamed 'The Wolf' by his United teammates, the Serb regularly snuffed out any danger with inspired displays for Sir Alex Ferguson's side. He made 300 appearances for the Old Trafford giants, winning five Premier League, the Champions League and three League Cups.

Some Manchester United fans will go as far as to say that Vidic was a better defender than Ferdinand. The duo made up one of the Premier League's most iconic defensive duos. However, Carragher's argument may have merit, given that Van Dijk has been the standout defender during his time at Liverpool.