"I would give credit to him" - Virgil van Dijk snubs Mo Salah and picks former Liverpool star as best ever Reds teammate
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has picked Roberto Firmino ahead of Mohamed Salah as his best teammate at Anfield.
Together with Salah and Sadio Mane, Firmino formed a devastating attacking troicka up front for Jurgen Klopp's side. Often playing from a deeper role than his two other attacking colleagues, the Brazilian bagged 111 goals and 79 assists in 362 appearances across competitions in eight seasons at the club.
Both Firmino (Al Ahli) and Mane (Al-Nassr) are now in the Saudi Pro League, albeit for different teams. Talking about the best teammates he has ever played with Anfield, Van Dijk had no qualms taking the name of Firmino on The Rest of Football podcast (as per the Daily Mail):
"I don't wanna put other players down but let me speak about players that for example left. Bobby Firmino has been a big figure in the success that we had over the last years, he kept especially those two next to him, who are outstanding, he kept them together.
"The triangle they were, the way they worked together. For me personally, the defensive work they did, to make it easier for us at the back, it's been crazy, it's been outstanding. He has been so far and difficult to defend in training, so I would give credit to him."
The Dutchman also had a word of praise for three of his current teammates, including Salah:
"But at the moment I'm playing with amazing players you know, Mohamed Salah, Alisson Becker, and I won't forget Joel Matip."
Firmino won seven trophies at Anfield, including the 2019-20 Premier League.
How has Mohamed Salah fared at Liverpool this season?
Despite being plagued by injuries, Mohamed Salah has produced another strong season for Liverpool.
The 31-year-old attacker has 22 goals and 13 assists in 34 games across competitions. That includes 16 goals and nine assists in the league, where the Reds are two points clear at the top after 30 games.
Salah has also bagged four goals and as many assists in eight games in the UEFA Europa League, where Jurgen Klopp's side face Atalanta in the quarterfinals. Moreover, the Egyptian has also scored once apiece in the FA Cup and the EFL Cup for Liverpool.