Van Dijk, Terry or Ferdinand? Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher chooses the best PL defender in history

Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher has named Virgil van Dijk over John Terry and Rio Ferdinand as his greatest Premier League defender of all time.

Carragher played a 'Winner Stays On' game with Arsenal hero Thierry Henry on Sky Sports. He was tasked with keeping one legendary Premier League defender in the game.

The former Liverpool defender was given names such as Ricardo Carvalho, Jaap Stam, and Tony Adams. He opted for the latter former Gunners captain before Terry was brought into the equation.

Carragher chose Terry over Adams and also Ferdinand which isn't surprising given his past comments. But, he took his time deciding which of his former England teammate or Van Dijk was the greatest:

"Virgil van Dijk... extra pace."

Van Dijk prevailed after Carragher snubbed Nemanja Vidic and former Manchester City stalwart Vincent Kompany. The 2019 UEFA Men's Player of the Year is rated extremely highly by the pundit and with good reason.

The 32-year-old has been a massive hit during his seven-year spell at Anfield. He's made 255 appearances, winning eight major trophies including the UEFA Champions League and the Premier League.

Van Dijk was instrumental in helping Liverpool end a 30-year league title drought in the 2019-20 campaign. He appeared in all 38 of his side's games, helping his side keep 15 clean sheets while chipping in with seven-goal contributions.

However, some fans may argue that Terry or Ferdinand are superior to the Dutch defender. The former was part of a Chelsea side that conceded just 15 goals in the 2004-05 league season which is a record.

Terry made 717 appearances across competitions at Stamford Bridge. He won 17 major trophies with the Blues, including five Premier League titles and one Champions League trophy.

Ferdinand was Terry's biggest defensive rival while playing in the English top flight. He forged a formidable partnership with Vidic that helped him win five of his six Premier League winners' medals.

The United icon made 455 appearances at Old Trafford during his career. He won 15 major trophies, including the Champions League against Terry's Chelsea in 2008.

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Rio Ferdinand made a bold claim over Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk last season

Virgil van Dijk was criticised last season.

Van Dijk has been back to his best this season, a rock at the heart of Liverpool's defense. He's made 33 appearances across competitions, helping his side keep 10 clean sheets.

However, the veteran defender endured a difficult spell last season when his form was brought into question. He struggled to perform to his best and Liverpool finished the season fifth and trophyless.

Ferdinand gave his take on the Dutchman's lack of form by comparing him to several Premier League legends (via Football365):

"There are phases in your career when things don’t go to plan. But) you look at great centre-halves like Vidic, Kompany, Campbell, Terry, Jaap Stam they don’t have a season off or big periods like eight to nine games off."

Ferdinand added:

"He hasn’t had the team performing in the way that suits his style of play."

The former Southampton defender has bounced back and been vital for Klopp's Reds as they target an unprecedented quadruple. He scored an extra-time winner in a 1-0 win against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup last month.