"You would know I made a joke" - Liverpool star Van Dijk's brilliant reply to Piers Morgan on Twitter after Cristiano Ronaldo comments resurface

Liverpool defender Virgil Van Dijk's comments on Cristiano Ronaldo from 2019, followed by his exchange with Piers Morgan, have resurfaced online.

The Liverpool centre-back has been exceptional since joining the Reds in January 2018 from Southampton. In his first full season at the club (2018-19), the Dutch defender helped the Reds win the UEFA Champions League.

He was the 'Man of the Match' for his performance in the Reds' 2-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League final that year. After an incredible season with club and country, Van Dijk was nominated for the Ballon d'Or award along with the usual suspects Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Messi eventually won the award, with the Liverpool defender coming second. Ronaldo was missing from the ceremony in France, and that is when the interview with Van Dijk took the internet by storm.

Before announcing the winner, the Dutchman was asked by a reporter that with Ronaldo not present at the awards, Van Dijk had one less rival to worry about. The Reds centre-back replied jokingly:

“Was Cristiano Ronaldo really a rival?”

That did not sit well with Ronaldo fans, with Piers Morgan, an avid supporter of the Portugal captain, replying to Van Dijk's comments on Twitter:

“No.. @Cristiano is a far greater player, you’re not in his league.”

Van Dijk was his usual composed self to Morgan and responded:

“Hi Piers. If you don’t jump on the social media bandwagon and would listen to the whole interview then you would know I made a joke, and only got respect for those 2.”

In his interview, Van Dijk praised both legends, saying:

“It was an amazing year, but there’s a couple of players like that who are a bit unnatural. So you need to respect greatness as well. I was close, but there was just someone a little bit better. I’m very proud of what I achieved last year with Liverpool and Holland, and hopefully we can do that again this year. But that will be tough with those guys around here still.”

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Cristiano Ronaldo going strong at 37 proves Liverpool's Van Dijk was correct in his assessment

It has been three years since that incident. However, Cristiano Ronaldo going strong at 37 only vindicates Van Dijk's assessment of the Portuguese forward.

Despite playing for a sub-par Manchester United team last season, Ronaldo netted 24 goals in 38 games last season, top-scoring for the club. However, he endured his first trophyless campaign in more than a decade.