Virgil van Dijk has received praise from Arsenal defender William Saliba, who insisted that he still views the Liverpool star as someone to “learn from”.
What’s new with William Saliba?
The French center-back undoubtedly had a significant impact for the Gunners last season as he was instrumental in the team’s surprise title challenge.
Saliba did indeed start the first 27 league games of the season for Mikel Arteta and company, losing just three times, before a back injury ended both his and his club’s season.
There will be high expectations for the 22-year-old to stay healthy next season and guide the team to victory in light of Arsenal’s narrow defeat without the defender.
If so, he would be following in the footsteps of his fellow centre back Van Dijk, who won the division with Liverpool in 2020.
However, some believe that the Dutchman has gotten a little worse since then. Van Dijk was criticised in the media, for example, when the Reds played the Gunners at the end of last season “after making key mistakes for both of Arsenal’s goals.”
It is also evident that some players were not at their best under Jurgen Klopp last season given Liverpool’s failure to place in the top four.
In spite of this, Saliba recently spoke in an interview with the Daily Mail and was all praise for Van Dijk, citing him as a source of inspiration despite the player’s recent slump.
I continue to watch him, he said. His one-on-one ability, calmness, composure, and long balls are all attributes I really appreciate. He has everything, and he served as a good role model for me as a defender. He was, in my opinion, the best defender in the world for two to three years.
Saliba continued, “Of course I have the quality, but that means nothing. I’m not trying to be like Van Dijk or the best in the world.
To reach this level, you must put in a lot of effort. As a result, even though I’m not close to this level, I’ll do everything I can to one day become the best defender in the world.
The length of Saliba’s new contract is it?
Saliba recently committed his future to Arsenal after agreeing to a new four-year deal earlier this summer. It will bind him to the club through 2027.
In north London, however, it wasn’t always clear if he would succeed under manager Arteta. He did mention that when he returned from his loan, his manager was almost completely silent in the same Daily Mail interview.
mikel Arteta for the Gunners
Saliba recalled, “I was so eager to do a pre-season with the team and to try to play in the Premier League and the Europa League.
“He greeted me on my first day. He didn’t talk to me again after that.
According to the article, Arteta was eager to observe the Frenchman’s response in order to assess his true personality.
Well, Saliba answered back. “I told myself to be good on the pitch, to give him a solution, and to tell him: Yeah I’m ready,” he said.
“It would be best to tell him on the pitch… I had anticipated his visit one day.
Within a few training sessions, Arteta reportedly suffered a blow, and the rest is history.
