Virgil van Dijk has been key to Liverpool’s success so far this season, with the Reds winning the Carabao Cup and still being in with a chance of lifting the Premier League, Europa League and FA Cup

Former Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel believes the captaincy has helped Virgil van Dijk get “back to his best” this season.

Van Dijk took over the role from Jordan Henderson after he departed Anfield to link up with Steven Gerrard at Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq.

Vice-captain James Milner also left the club to join Brighton, prompting manager Jurgen Klopp to appoint Van Dijk as the new skipper.

And Skrtel has been impressed by the way the Dutchman has “stepped up” while wearing the armband, insisting he is now back “up there with the best centre-backs in the world” after fully recovering from the ACL injury he suffered in 2020.

“When you lose players like Henderson and Milner, they are always going to be big misses, not only on the pitch but off it too,” Skrtel told the Athletic. “But Virgil has really stepped up. He’s the leader and the main man.

“I think the captaincy has helped him. You can see that with his performances. He’s back to his best. After he had that serious injury, people doubted him but the way he’s played this season has shown he’s got so much left to offer.

“He’s right up there with the best centre-backs in the world. With the consistency he’s shown, I’d love to see him getting individual trophies as well as lifting collective trophies with the team.”

And Van Dijk has admitted his performances last season were not up to his high standards, vowing in an interview with the Times last year that he was fully focused on getting back to his best. “No one is immune to criticism,” he said.

Former Liverpool centre-back Martin Skrtel believes Van Dijk is back to his best (
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“If someone said that, they are lying. But when the criticism is there and you know it is right, the only thing you can do is keep your head down and focus on improving. I know my performance has been going like the team has been going — up and down.

“I know I’m one of the players who is looked at, that I set a high standard over the last five years that it’s normal to be criticised. The only thing I can do is block the noise out and focus on how I deal with certain situations to be better.

“Over the past five years, excluding the year of my injury, I’ve been playing every three or four days to such a consistent level. I’m trying to get back to that — and I will get back it. I’m not worried about that.”