Liverpool hero Virgil van Dijk admits desire to play with De Bruyne

Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp receives the freedom of the city

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Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk claims that he would ‘love’ to play with Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne before he retires. The two teams have been at war in the Premier League over the past few years with managers Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola contesting a gripping rivalry. 

Van Dijk and De Bruyne have been two of the protaginists in a succession of Premier League title battles over the past few years. As Liverpool’s talismanic figure at the back, Van Dijk has often been tasked with containing De Bruyne’s creativity and eye for the spectacular when the two sides meet. 

The Belgian made a good impression on his rival, as became clear when Manchester United asked Van Dijk about a player he would love to play with at club or international level. Almost instantaneously, he responded on The Overlap: “Kevin De Bruyne. I think he’s unbelievable.

“If he played at Liverpool, we would have gone even further than we already have. I think he’s outstanding. Good on the ball, pressing, scoring. He’s got everything that a modern-day midfielder should have. As a footballer, he’s an outstanding player.”

Man City manager Pep Guardiola recently claimed that De Bruyne wasn’t at his best this season, to which he responded by scoring a spectacular free-kick against Leicester last weekend. The 31-year-old was rested for the Champions League win over Sevilla this week with Fulham set to visit the Etihad on Saturday. 

As has become customary during his time in the Premier League, De Bruyne leads the assist charts with nine in his first 12 appearances. He has also managed set set up another three goals in Europe, with City progressing to the knockout rounds as Group G winners. 

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