Liverpool news: Why Virgil van Dijk has a MASSIVE point to prove – Martin Keown

That is according to BT Sport pundit and former Arsenal and England defender Martin Keown.

Van Dijk joined Liverpool from Southampton in January for a fee of £75million, making him the world’s most expensive defender.

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He has gone on to become, in many people’s eyes, the best centre-back in the Premier League, leading the Reds to the top of the table halfway through this season.

Keown was analysing footage of Van Dijk ahead of Saturday’s clash against Arsenal at Anfield.

And he highlighted the pace of the Dutchman, especially in clips against Chelsea’s Willian and Wolves’ Adama Traore.

“It’s the sheer pace that he has, it’s quite remarkable,” Keown said of the Liverpool man.

“Of course he has that mobility, I think it’s about reading the game now.

“But there’s an ownership, he’s top dog in that position.

“Look at this pace, Willian we know is no slouch, he’s running through on goal and suddenly he goes through the gears and he sweeps up.

“Traore is a player that you just don’t want to play against, he’s probably the quickest player we’ve maybe ever seen.

“But look here, he just almost embarrasses him.

“It is top defending and the manager is almost giggling with him and saying ‘look at that’.

“Everything now is coming to fruition and he’s becoming the player everyone was expecting him to be.

“He was there for the taking, he was at Celtic for many years, no one really took him.

“He’s got a massive point to prove this boy and boy is he doing it.”