Steven Gerrard believes there’s one defender in Premier League history better than Virgil van Dijk. It’s a debate that has raged on since the Dutchman returned to England’s topflight to sign for Liverpool in January 2018, with the former Southampton and Celtic being a colossal figure at the heart of the glorious Jurgen Klopp era.
However, rival fans have often dismissed Liverpool supporters’ claims that Van Dijk is the greatest defender to ever grace the Premier League. Chelsea and Manchester United fans argue the merits of John Terry and Rio Ferdinand, respectively, while other legends like Vincent Kompany and Tony Adams are frequently brought into the discussion.
There’s little debate that all five defenders rightfully belong among the Premier League’s elite. However, while Gerrard—who played 504 league games for Liverpool but famously never claimed the title—answered the age-old question with a hint of loyalty to his boyhood club, the former England captain surprisingly overlooked Van Dijk, instead opting for an old England teammate.
John Terry with the Premier League trophy
As a former PFA Player of the Year winner, Gerrard was invited to do an interview with the PFA back in 2023, where he was tasked with piecing together his best possible Premier League five-a-side team. “It would have to be either John Terry or [Virgil] van Dijk,” the Al-Ettifaq manager said when deciding the one defender who deserves a place in his team.
“I played a lot of my career with John [Terry] and he was a colossal player, so I think I have to pick him. Obviously, I’d love to pick big Virg because he’s transformed Liverpool over the last 5-6 years, and he’s my favourite defender in the world right now. From my own personal experience, I played with John for England for over 10 years, and he’d get in anyone’s team.”
It remains to be seen whether Van Dijk, Liverpool’s current club captain, will extend his stay with his contract entering its final six months this year. But with the Reds currently sitting comfortably top of both the Premier League and Champions League, there’s every reason to believe the Dutchman could soon surpass Terry’s legacy, although it’s an everlasting one.
