News'He has everything' - Van Dijk's belief in Ibrahima Konate
Virgil van Dijk has backed fellow defender Ibrahima Konate to keep improving on his impressive form for Liverpool.
France international Konate has made 19 appearances this term for his club, most recently offering an eye-catching display at the back in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal.
Reds captain Van Dijk is delighted by the progress of his teammate and feels there is plenty of scope for the 2021 signing to develop further.
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“He’s still growing. He’s an outstanding defender,” said Van Dijk. “He has everything that a modern-day footballer needs to be at the absolute top of centre-backs. There’s a lot of demands from us.
“We play with the ball, keep a high line, you need the pace and deal [with] lots of space to defend in behind. He needs pace and heading as well. He’s doing it well.
“It’s about getting used to playing every three days, looking after your body, managing games and training sessions, and when to do certain things.
“He is learning. I speak a lot with him about certain things because it’s my duty to share experiences with him. He’s still learning and he can be even better than he is. Same goes with Jarell Quansah.
“I just look to share my experiences. I’ve been in the game for quite a while now and been quite successful. I try to give that to the young players.
“These players at this age are even better than I was. But obviously it’s about doing it in the long run. I’m pleased with how he is now but he can be even better, he can progress.
“It’s nice to see the progression and development, it’s also nice to see that they listen and are willing to listen and learn. Let’s see what it brings.”