Former Netherlands Under-21 coach Cor Pot has admitted that he did not rate Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk highly initially, but believes he is now a top centre-back.
Liverpool paid a world record fee for a defender to snare Van Dijk away from Southampton in the January transfer window and he has impressed at the heart of Jurgen Klopp's backline.
The Dutchman has transformed Liverpool’s defence and has emerged as a leader in the back four, which has led to the Reds looking like strong title contenders this season.
However, Pot admits that he did not think the defender was top notch when he worked with him a few years ago in the Netherlands squad and felt that he lacked a few things in his game.
But he conceded that Van Dijk has developed enormously over the last few years and has truly become one of the best centre-backs in the world at the moment.
Pot told Dutch outlet Voetbal Primeur: “I called him to join the young Oranja a few times, but he did not join me.
“I had to revise my opinion on him and he has developed into a real personality.
"Such things happen, he has developed enormously.
“Virgil has of course been through a process – as a striker, then midfielder and then only he became a central defender.”
The veteran coach continued: “He was not that agile, found turning difficult, was easily beaten, but in recent years he has learned a lot in the field of tactics.
“Van Dijk has become a real top defender.”
