"Arguably better than Van Dijk in my opinion" - Micah Richards names 'underrated' defender who was better than Liverpool superstar last season
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk's stocks have gone up over the last few years, and deservedly so. Many pundits regard him as the finest centre-back in the Premier League at the moment.
Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards, however, has different views. He believes Joel Matip was better than his Dutch teammate last season.
Richards made the comments during a debate with former Reds midfielder Jamie Redknapp. The two ex footballers sat down with LADBibleTV to set up their combined Liverpool and Manchester City XI.
While discussing the centre-back pairing, the two pundits agreed to have Virgil van Dijk as one of the two central defenders. However, they couldn't settle on who should join the Dutchman, with Jamie Redknapp vying for Manchester City's Ruben Dias and Richards insisting on Liverpool's Joel Matip.
The former Cityzens defender went on to claim that Matip was better than Van Dijk last season. He also added that the Cameroon international is underrated.
“I think Matip has been good as well, you know?" Richards said.
Redknapp responded:
“I’m not feeling that at all.”
Richard then went on to make a bold claim, saying:
“I think he’s underrated. I think he started ok, had the injuries, but as you watch him – last season, he was arguably better than Van Dijk, in my opinion.”
Redknapp then concluded the argument by saying:
“He’d (pointing at the host) look good next to Van Dijk. So, I’m telling you, If you take Virgil out, I think Matip would find it difficult.”
How Van Dijk and Matip fared for Liverpool last season
The two players were highly influential as the Reds enjoyed another splendid outing last term, winning both the FA Cup and the EFL Cup.
They also reached the UEFA Champions League final, losing to Real Madrid, and finished second to Manchester City in the Premier League title race by just a one-point margin.
Jamie Carragher: “Joel Matip has probably actually been better than Virgil Van Dijk [this season].”
Van Dijk remained a reliable figure throughout the campaign, with three goals and five assists to his name in 51 appearances across all competitions. Matip, meanwhile, was also a solid figure, contributing three goals and three assists in 43 games across all fronts.