4 most improved players in the 2018-19 season of European football
Football is the biggest game on this planet and no other game involves as much excitement and fanfare as it. Therefore, footballers are the toast of the respective supporters of their clubs and enjoy unabashed admiration from them. However, every football season keeps producing some new talents as they make their mark in the world scene with notable performances.
The 2018-19 season began almost 3 months ago and some players have already made their presence felt with exceptional performances. Established stars like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar are still among the top players in the world, but there are some other names who have been gaining prominence gradually. Those are the players who have enhanced their reputation in the current season and should improve further in the coming days.
We would like to have a look at 4 such players:
4. Virgil Van Dijk (Netherlands and Liverpool)
The 27-year-old Van Dijk is the mainstay of the Liverpool defence now. He is into his 2nd season with the club and already made a name for himself in 37 matches.
Van Dijk has great positional sense and anticipation and is a clean tackler. Those traits allow him to defend very successfully inside his own penalty box and make him an asset for Liverpool. He can also play the offside trap pretty well and although Liverpool do not play the high line very often, this quality can be put to use very effectively at times.
Van Dijk is also very strong in the air and can be a threat from the set-pieces. In the match against Arsenal recently, he went close to scoring and hit the woodwork with one of his headers. This trait increases his overall utility as a player and he could go on to become one of the most complete centre-backs of recent times. However, he would have to improve his distribution skills, especially his short passing skills.
Van Dijk is a member of the Dutch national team too and remains one of the reasons behind their recent resurgence. He was part of the team that beat Germany 3-0 in a UEFA Nations League match in October.