Former Chelsea captain John Terry firmly believes Virgil van Dijk can be the greatest centre-back of all time, as long as he can continue to perform at the highest level for over a decade.

Terry claims that the Liverpool defender has only been at the top of his game for a few seasons, and what will determine where he will go down in history will be whether he can maintain his consistency:

“Yes, I do. I always say to be regarded as the very best, LONGEVITY is key. He has been outstanding for the last 3/4 years. But to be the very best, you need to be at the very top for 10/15 years.”

It’s a very interesting comment from Terry. It’s definitely fair to say that the greatest players, such as Paolo Maldini, were truly great for very long periods, so the same criteria should apply to van Dijk.

Whether the Dutchman can perform well into his mid to late 30s, we shall have to wait and see, but it should be pointed out that he has never relied on his pace to defend. Much like other great defenders, van Djik’s anticipation (the ability to be in the right place at the right time) is top-notch and that should hold him in good stead over the long term.