Van Dijk vs Ramos: Premier League star makes his pick

Virgil van Dijk Still Sets the Standard as Premier League's Best Centre-Back Virgil van Dijk has been measured against every elite centre-back of the modern era for years. He belongs in that company, and for many, he sits above it.

At Liverpool, Van Dijk has done the lot. He transformed a fragile defence, led the side as captain and delivered the kind of authority that very few defenders in Premier League history have managed.

Nine years at Anfield have left no room for debate about his stature. He is the outstanding Liverpool defender of the Premier League era.

Van Dijk comparison keeps ending the same way These debates tend to throw up the same names. Vincent Kompany, Rio Ferdinand, Sergio Ramos.

All top-class players, all decorated, all worthy of serious mention. Yet when Micky van de Ven was asked to work through that sort of knockout comparison, Van Dijk kept advancing.

The Tottenham and Netherlands defender selected Van Dijk over Kompany, then over Ferdinand. Both were dominant players in title-winning teams.

Ramos has the medals, the longevity at Real Madrid and the reputation for delivering in the biggest moments. He also had flaws, and plenty of them.

Defensive chaos was often packaged as charisma. Van de Ven gave his answer after a pause.

"I think they were both unbelievable," said the 25-year-old. "In prime, I need to say Virgil."