Virgil van Dijk needs trophies to be a great – Mario Melchiot

Former Netherlands international Mario Melchiot says that Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk needs to win trophies to be considered an all-time great at the end of his career.

The Reds centre-back has won three Scottish Premiership titles and a Scottish League Cup with Celtic but has yet to win silverware in his time in England.

However, since joining Liverpool from Southampton in January last year, he has reached the Champions League final and is embroiled in a fierce Premier League title race with Manchester City this season.

And Melchiot insists that major honours are crucial to establishing Van Dijk’s status as one of the best central defenders in history.

“Now it’s just very important for him that he’s in a team that wins trophies because that sets you apart [as] being the ultimate best,” Melchiot told the Express.

“At the end of the day, you could be a great defender but when you add trophies to that, then you become like one of the greats and the greats win trophies.

“That’s why I think he has definitely all the potential and he’s with a manager that loves him and makes him play the way he should be playing.

“Yes, he needs to add trophies because that’s why he’s playing. If he tells you something different it would be very weird for me.

“I can’t imagine a player like him doesn’t want to add trophies to his career.”

There have been reports that Liverpool are looking to extend the Dutchman’s terms already in order to ward off potential interest in their star defender, but Melchiot does not see Van Dijk leaving so soon after arriving on Merseyside.

“It’s too early for them to even worry about that,” he said. “I don’t see Van Dijk considering moving away from them yet.

“The rumours were that they were going to extend his deal because of course there were some big clubs eyeing him.

“I don’t think he is already looking at it and thinking he’s desperate, no. He’s just got there.”

Liverpool continue their title challenge after the international break when they host Tottenham at Anfield.

Before that, Van Dijk is in action for his national team as the Netherlands take on Germany in their Euro 2020 qualifier, having already beaten Belarus 4-0 at home.

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