'What a player' - Jude Bellingham hails Liverpool star after Carabao Cup final victory

Jude Bellingham was quick to heap praise on Liverpool captain and Carabao Cup-winning goalscorer Virgil van Dijk after the Reds' triumph at Wembley on Sunday. 

Liverpool beat Chelsea in the showpiece event in the capital 1-0 after extra-time, with Virgil van Dijk scoring the decisive header in the 118th minute of the match.

The defender met Kostas Tsimikas' corner and redirected an effort beyond Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, as he had done earlier in the match only for his strike to be ruled out for a harsh offside.

Not only was the 32-year-old typically commanding in the opposition penalty area, he was at his imperious best up against some expensive Chelsea attackers.

Van Dijk was also given the Carabao Cup Player of the Match award for his brilliant display, with his sensational performance not lost on Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham.

Van Dijk uploaded a picture of himself with the Carabao Cup trophy and the man of the match award to Instagram, alongside the caption: "That's for you, Liverpool."

Bellingham commented underneath Van Dijk's post, simply writing: "What a player."

Andy Robertson commented the exact same thing, while Wataru Endo and Ibrahima Konate also showed their appreciation on Van Dijk's post after the match.

Of course, had things turned out differently last summer, Bellingham could have been a part of Liverpool's trophy celebrations after frequent links with a move to Anfield.

However, the 20-year-old dynamo opted for a switch to Real Madrid instead, where has been performing at a ridiculously high level.

Liverpool decided to spend the vast fortune they would have had to pay Borussia Dortmund for Bellingham on four new midfield signings, with Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch all starting Sunday's final.

Gravenberch was sadly substituted in the first half after a nasty tackle from Moises Caicedo, but both Mac Allister and Endo put in sensational performances for the Reds at Wembley.

Without their spirited displays in the engine room, Van Dijk may have not managed to lift his first Liverpool trophy as club captain at the weekend.