Dominic Solanke doesn’t even blink as Tottenham star names best defender he’s faced
Dominic Solanke didn't hesitate when asked to name the toughest defender he's ever faced. The Tottenham striker, who signed from Bournemouth for a club record £65million last month, has spent the best part of of a decade in English football, despite being seen as something of an up-and-comer.
He's played against some of the finest centre backs in Premier League history, including the likes of Ruben Dias, Thiago Silva, Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen. But when Sky Sports asked him which of them were the hardest to play against, the 26-year-old had an immediate answer.
"I'd probably say Virgil van Dijk [is the toughest defender I've faced]," Solanke admitted. "He's got everything, like, he's big, strong, good on the ball, aggressive. He's definitely one of the best defenders in our time and I'd say he's the most difficult."
Solanke and Van Dijk, 33, have been both team-mates and opponents. The former joined Liverpool from Chelsea in the summer of 2017, with the latter following him through the door from Southampton six months later.
However, Solanke's stint at Anfield was short-lived. He lasted just one season before Bournemouth snapped him up in 2018 for £19m - a sizeable outlay considering he'd only scored once in 27 Liverpool matches. In contrast, Van Dijk quickly established himself as not only a regular in Liverpool's first team, but also as one of the division's top players.
The Reds made it to the Champions League final just four months after the Dutchman's arrival, but were defeated 3-1 by Real Madrid in a match that will forever be remembered for Spurs icon Gareth Bale's spectacular bicycle kick. A year later, Van Dijk and Co. went one better and lifted the trophy after beating Spurs in the final, thanks in part to a controversial penalty decision.
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Solanke, meanwhile, had a rather slow start at Bournemouth. He didn't score in his first season and only managed four goals in 36 games in his second. It was only when Bournemouth were relegated to the Championship that the Reading-born forward truly came into his own.
He scored an impressive 44 goals in 86 matches, helping the south coast club secure promotion back to the Premier League in 2022. In the 2023/24 season, Solanke really hit his stride. He netted 19 Premier League goals - a tally surpassed only by Erling Haaland, Cole Palmer and Alexander Isak, and one that convinced Spurs to shell out a record fee to bring him to north London.
Solanke made his Tottenham debut in the club's opening weekend draw against Leicester last month. Unfortunately, the striker picked up an ankle injury during the match and has sat out Spurs' last two fixtures. Tottenham are keen to bring him back into the fold ahead of Sunday's north London derby, but at this point Solanke remains a major doubt.