Former Premier League winner Chris Sutton has suggested that Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk is the third-best player in the world.
The outspoken pundit claimed that there is a 'clamour' for the in-form Chelsea attacker Eden Hazard to get the third prize at the prestigious Ballon d'Or awards in December, if Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi finish in the top-two again. However, his pick would be the 'brilliant' Van Dijk.
The Reds signed 27-year-old Van Dijk from Southampton for £75m in January 2018 as Jurgen Klopp aimed to strengthen his occasionally leaky defence.
After making an instant impact as the Reds reached the Champions League final last season, Van Dijk has helped Liverpool to keep five clean sheets from their eight Premier League matches so far in 2018/19.