Asked to pick between the two Premier League greats, the World Cup winner sided with the Liverpool star
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk is a superior player to Manchester United great Nemanja Vidic, according to World Cup-winning centre-back Frank Leboeuf.
Since joining the Anfield side in 2018, Van Dijk has seen his reputation soar and was tipped as a potential Ballon d’Or winner last year after leading Jurgen Klopp’s side to the Champions League with a famous victory over Tottenham.
He ultimately missed out on that accolade, pushed into second place by Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, who claimed the award for a sixth time, but he was named the Premier League’s Players’ Player of the Year, despite Liverpool finishing second to Manchester City.
He became the first defender since John Terry in 2005 to claim that prize, pushing him into the category of all-time great Premier League defenders, a category that Vidic has long resided in after a highly successful eight-year spell at Old Trafford that ended in 2014.
And while the Serb was a very accomplished defender, Leboeuf feels that Van Dijk has the edge.
When asked to pick between the pair, the former Chelsea man told ESPN FC: “I would go for Van Dijk. I think he’s more complete.
“I loved Vidic, because I think he was a dog, and a fantastic defender. But Van Dijk can lead the team and has this great range of passing.
“I don’t think Vidic was capable of doing that. Hats off to him, though, he was a fantastic defender.”
Van Dijk has again played his part this season as Liverpool have established a 25-point lead at the top of the Premier League table ahead of Manchester City and needed only a couple more wins to secure the crown.
The Reds are, however, unsure how the season will end, with football currently on lockdown around the world due to the spread of Covid-19, a virus that has brought entire countries to a standstill.
At present, the Premier League has been placed on hold until April 3, though it is highly likely that there will be further disruption to the fixture list, with Euro 2020 having already been postponed for a year.
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