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Van Dijk is Liverpool's first leader since Carragher, says Heskey

Virgil van Dijk is Liverpool’s first defensive leader since Jamie Carragher, claims former Reds striker Emile Heskey.

A leaky back four had been something of an issue for the Reds prior to the big-money arrival of the Dutchman in January 2018.

Jurgen Klopp invested a record-breaking £75 million ($98m) in luring Van Dijk away from Southampton, with the defender considered to be the commanding presence his side were crying out for.

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The 27-year-old centre-half has delivered on that expectation, with Liverpool boasting the Premier League’s meanest defence in 2018-19 as they chase down a first title in 29 years.