Jaap Stam picks Virgil van Dijk as best centre-back in Premier League history

Legendary Manchester United defender Jaap Stam has singled out Liverpool colossus Virgil van Dijk as the greatest centre-back the Premier League has ever seen.

Stam registered 127 appearances for United over a three season period, winning three Premier League titles and a Champions League with the Red Devils.

Becoming renowned for his no-nonsense style of defending, the Dutchman is widely regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation.

However, his ties with United didn't cloud his bias when asked to rate some of the best centre-halves to grace English football.

On the latest episode of The Overlap's Stick to Football, Stam was posed with the question of which centre-back in Premier League he'd most like to pair up with.

Leaving no doubt in the mind, he chose his compatriot, Liverpool's own Virgil van Dijk.

"I'll keep it Dutch," Stam said.

"It would be a good partnership. Virgil is a very good player."

It echoed the sentiment of Reds legend Jamie Carragher, who also picked Van Dijk as the man he'd most like to line up against.

However, it isn't all praise for Liverpool's skipper, with Carragher highlighting recent criticism the Dutchman has received when playing for his home country.

That said, Stam finds it hard to understand why such comments are being made in the Dutch press.

"They think his coaching and communication, he's not doing enough," he added. "Especially when the team aren't playing well, he needs to be the one to tell players what to do and put them in position so they can make a difference.

"I find that hard to see on the pitch from the television. I don't know if it's fair to be honest."