Virgil van Dijk cements legendary status with iconic cup final performance

Have you ever felt prouder of a Liverpool team?

Did you ever think you’d be on the verge of tears, or perhaps even in floods of them, after a Carabao Cup final triumph?

What we saw at Wembley on Sunday afternoon was astonishing, as a depleted Liverpool side edged out Chelsea in the most thrilling fashion, with teenagers littered throughout the team in extra-time.

Every single one of those Reds players was a hero on the day, showing such heart and belief in trying circumstances, and it should go down as one of the great days of Jurgen Klopp’s tenure.

It might not get better than this for the rest of the season, even though we all pray that it does.

For all the incredible bravery and quality of youngsters such as Bobby Clark and James McConnell, the brilliance of Caoimhin Kelleher in goal, or the fight of Wataru Endo in the middle of the park, this was Virgil van Dijk’s day.

The Dutchman led Liverpool out in a final for the first time as captain, and what followed has to be one of his most iconic performances in a Reds shirt.

Van Dijk was utterly faultless in everything he did, as he looked to lead a hugely weakened side to glory, holding the defence together as Chelsea threatened to open the scoring.

The 32-year-old ended the game with a 91% pass completion rate, according to Sofascore, but his defensive statistics are what truly stood out.

The Liverpool skipper made three tackles and two interceptions, not to mention winning seven duels in total, and in true Van Dijk fashion, he wasn't dribbled past once. Every time Chelsea threatened, he was in the right place.

A word of praise for Ibrahima Konate, too, whose own huge contribution shouldn't be ignored.

Then there was Van Dijk's leadership, which perhaps even usurped the all-round genius of his performance, as he screamed at teammates, offered encouragement to young colleagues and generally displayed an aura that the true greats possess.

The icing on the cake was the winning goal, of course, just when it looked as though the big talking point could be how he was robbed of a cup final winner earlier in the game.

The nonsense on show from VAR was painful, quite frankly, but rather than feel sorry for himself, Van Dijk was there to power home a late header in front of the Liverpool supporters, in what was his biggest-ever goal for the club.

The celebration was memorable in the seconds afterwards, as teammates swamped their God-like captain, and it was fitting that it was the towering Dutchman who won it for his side.

Much like Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard before him, against Arsenal and West Ham in 2001 and 2006 respectively, this deserves to be known as the "Van Dijk final".

That's meant as no disrespect to so many others who played their part in a famous win, but when we think back to that thrilling day years from now, it will be impossible to think of anyone other than Van Dijk.

He was colossal in every facet of his game, and his post-match interview and decision to share the trophy lift with Klopp also summed up his class as an individual.

Jordan Henderson was a fantastic leader, prior to blotching his copybook with a move to Saudi Arabia, but his replacement is threatening to be even better in a short space of time.

What a next few months it could be in his career.

Perhaps the most pleasing aspect of all this is the fact that Van Dijk looks as good as ever, having been written off in some quarters before this season got underway.

It is no secret that he was far below his best last term, often lacking the same level of focus and consistency, but he was playing in a side with no confidence for chunks of the campaign, not to mention a midfield that had completely run out of legs.

This season, however, Van Dijk has been Liverpool's best player, and with Alisson and Mohamed Salah's seasons impacted by injuries, that debate isn't close at the moment.

The footage of him mocking those who claimed he was "finished" on Sunday was great to see, poking fun at the knee-jerk modern football fan, and these past six months or so couldn't have silenced his detractors any more.

Nostalgia can make us all overrate past players, forgetting that they would have bad games and make mistakes, so it is only natural that some simply refuse to accept that Van Dijk is the greatest centre-back of the Premier League era, and one of the best of all time in his position.

He can do it all, though, and Sunday's immaculate match-winning performance was a perfect reminder of how perfect a footballer he is, and how those he is compared to are inferior.

Van Dijk has the leadership of John Terry, the elegance of Rio Ferdinand and the aerial dominance of Jaap Stam all rolled into one, while also possessing attributes that some of those individuals didn't have.

Much like Alisson behind him, there isn't anyone of this generation that Liverpool fans would swap for Van Dijk, and while his 33rd birthday will arrive this summer, there is no reason why we can't enjoy another three or four years of him at a high level.

There are so many great footballers who have wowed us during Klopp's time at the club, but only a small handful are worthy of being considered genuine icons.

Alongside his legendary manager, Van Dijk is undoubtedly one of them, and it was so heartwarming to see them lift the Carabao Cup trophy together at Wembley.

Treasure every single second of Van Dijk. We won't see another one like him for many years.