Playing with and against Virgil van Dijk: 'I felt completely hopeless'

Virgil van Dijk (34 years old) has long been the irreplaceable leader of Liverpool and the Dutch team. But what makes playing with him so difficult? Three former strikers and a former teammate reminisced about their experiences playing with and against Big Virg. The most beautiful words of praise from an opponent about Van Dijk came from former Watford striker Troy Deeney. He once said: 'I've said it many times, I hate him, but I hate playing against him the most. He's too big, too strong and too good with the ball. He also has a head with beautiful hair. He's the type of person who even sprays perfume on his shirt, so he always smells good.' Cuco Martina, who spent two years playing with Virgil van Dijk at Southampton, laughed when he heard Deeney's words. 'I've never seen him apply perfume before going out,' he, who has represented Curaçao 66 times, said with a smile. 'But it's true that he always smells good, that's true. He is a person who always takes care of himself, always having a neat and fresh haircut. His hair is always perfect in every match. Make sure he always uses good perfume, not the cheap kind that disappears within a few hours.'