Virgil van Dijk or Ronald Koeman? Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand picks the better Dutch defender

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand was recently tasked with picking the better center-back between Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk and Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman.

The pair played in different generations, and after a slight deliberation, the former Red Devils defender went with Koeman. Ferdinand himself is well aware of what makes a good center-half, having played in that position throughout his career.

He was asked to choose between the two in a social media segment for BBC Sport. After managing to pick the better of two central defenders for most of the clip, Ferdinand had to decide between the Dutch pair towards the end.

He said:

"Probably go Koeman again still."

Ferdinand not only picked Koeman over the Reds man but also chose the Dutch boss over himself. In the end, however, he decided that Paolo Maldini trumped Koeman, declaring the former as the best center-back ever.

During his time as a player, Koeman made 264 appearances across competitions for Barcelona, bagging 88 goals and 11 assists. He also enjoyed notable spells with PSV Eindhoven and Ajax, among other clubs.

Meanwhile, Van Dijk is currently with Liverpool and still has a year left on his deal at Anfield. So far, the 33-year-old defender has played 270 matches across competitions for the Merseyside outfit, scoring 23 goals and assisting 12 times.

He's won the Premier League and Champions League titles once each at Liverpool, among other honors.

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Liverpool wish to keep hold of Virgil van Dijk amid uncertainty over the defender's future - Reports

Virgil van Dijk

Liverpool reportedly have no plans of cashing in on defender Virgil van Dijk this summer, even with the Netherlands international entering the final year of his contract.

This is according to the Mirror, who also claim that the Reds have failed to provide any information about a new contract for the center-half. Should the two parties fail to conclude a new deal, the former Southampton man could leave for free next summer.

The situation is similar for two other star players, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who also have just one year left on their current deals. If the Reds end up losing the trio, it would be a huge blow before the start of the 2025/26 campaign.

However, it may be time to consider letting go of Van Dijk, with the defender now well over 30 and seemingly entering the final leg of his career.