‘I have nothing but praise for him’: Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk admits Holland team-mate Jurrien Timber – who turned down a summer move to Man United – is BETTER than he was at the same age
- Virgil van Dijk has claimed Jurrien Timber is better than he was at the same age
- The Liverpool star plays alongside Timber in the Holland national team’s defence
- And Van Dijk hailed the 21-year-old fellow centre half as a ‘true professional’
- Ajax’s Timber turned down a summer move to Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United
- Louis van Gaal warned it might damage his game time before the World Cup
- Click here for all the latest World Cup 2022 news and updates
Virgil van Dijk has heaped praise on international team-mate Jurrien Timber, insisting the 21-year-old is better than he was at the same age.
The Liverpool star lines up alongside Timber in the Holland defence, with both playing 90 minutes at centre half and keeping a clean sheet in their 2-0 win in Poland in the Nations League on Thursday.
And Van Dijk, widely considered one of the best defenders in the world, labelled the Ajax prodigy as a ‘true professional’, adding he has ‘nothing but praise’ for his international team-mate.
Virgil van Dijk (left) has heaped praise on Holland team-mate Jurrien Timber (second right), insisting the defender is better than he was at the same age
The Liverpool star, one of the best defenders in the world, hailed him as a ‘true professional’
He said: ‘I wasn’t nearly as far along as he is now (at the same age). I have nothing but praise for him. He is a great player and a true professional.
‘He has so much potential. Hopefully he can develop further. Then it will be all right, I think.’
Nine-cap international Timber broke through at Ajax under Erik ten Hag, who after moving to Manchester United this summer tried to bring his former player, rated at £40million by the Dutch side, to Old Trafford as well.
Ajax centre back Timber turned down a summer transfer to Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United
Holland boss Louis van Gaal had warned it might damage his game time before the World Cup
But after Holland and former United manager Louis van Gaal warned the player his spot at the winter World Cup might be in danger with a potential lack of game time at United, the move fell through.
Fans of the Premier League side then blasted Timber as a ‘clown’ after he appeared to troll them by posting ‘still here’ alongside a picture of himself at Ajax after turning down the transfer.
Timber’s emergence is putting pressure on Van Dijk and others including Matthijs de Ligt, Stefan de Vrij and Daley Blind who are looking for a starting spot in Van Gaal’s three-man defence for the tournament, which begins in November.
