Nottingham Forest star Chris Wood names Virgil van Dijk and ex-Liverpool player as hardest defenders he’s ever faced

Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood has named Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk and former Reds defender Martin Skrtel the hardest defenders he ever faced. Notably, Van Dijk has been an instrumental force for the Reds under head coach Arne Slot this season, driving them to the top of the Premier League table.

In 22 league games, the Reds have conceded just 21 goals, with Van Dijk playing his part in holding down the forte. Meanwhile, Chris Wood has been a quality player for Nottingham Forest, scoring 14 goals to help them to their current third position in the league.

In an interview with Optus Sport, the 33-year-old striker spoke about the best defenders he's faced in his long career, which has seen him play across 15 clubs. When asked for the most difficult one-on-one opponent, he said (via LFC Transfer Room on X):

"Van Dijk, at the moment, is probably the best defender [I've] come up against, but Skrtel at Liverpool, as well, back in the day."

Wood went into further detail about Skrtel:

"He was one of the defenders that just never let you rest - always pinching you, prodding you, and just being on your nerves. I think he kind of put strikers off a bit, in a sense like that. So yeah, he was one of the tougher ones and he got stuck in."

Notably, Chris Wood has faced Virgil van Dijk 10 times in his career, losing six times and winning just twice. Only one win has come against Van Dijk in a Liverpool shirt. Wood faced Skrtel once in his club career, over 10 years ago, while he was at West Bromwich Albion. Both players also faced off in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

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Arne Slot praises Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot was full of praise for his defender Virgil van Dijk during an interview with pundit Gary Lineker. The Reds boss has enjoyed a brilliant start to life at Anfield after joining the club in the summer of 2024.

He has led them to the top of the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League, and they look on track to win more than one trophy this season. A lot of this is down to Van Dijk's quality in defense, with Slot revealing how impressed he was with the Dutchman. He said (via BBC):

"Everybody here in England would tell you that Virgil van Dijk is the best defender in the world. In Holland, he got a bit more criticism than he gets over here in England. I was, in a very positive way, surprised how good he was on the ball and how he could play football through the lines.

"From the first day I was like 'wow, this is definitely another level that I'm used to'. But people in England were used to this."

Virgil van Dijk's contract at Liverpool will expire this summer, with less than six months left. However, the club are believed to be working to ensure an extension is agreed on.