Jamie Carragher uses Erling Haaland to make Virgil van Dijk point as Liverpool challenge clear

Jamie Carragher believes Virgil van Dijk is worthy of a place in the Premier League Team of the Season. The Dutchman has played in 35 of Liverpool's 37 matches, with his side securing a return to next year's Champions League.

Those two games he missed were back at the start of the campaign after his red card at Newcastle, with the Liverpool skipper having since turned in some dominant performance against the best strikers in the league.

Anfield legend Carragher simply doesn't think Liverpool would have been anywhere near the title race, were it not for its talismanic skipper. The Sky Sports pundit selected Van Dijk in his Team of the Season following the Reds' 3-3 draw with Aston Villa.

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After picking him alongside Arsenal duo William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães, he said: "I couldn't leave any of them out and there were no full-backs that jumped out at me. Without Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool would be in that fight for fourth with Villa and Tottenham. He has been that important.

"I think about that performance in the Carabao Cup final and he is basically playing with a young lad in Jarell Quansah for half of the season. He started it with Joël Matip, then he got injured for the season. He has had three different partners. He has been back to his absolute best, like when he played against Erling Haaland."

Van Dijk did manage to keep Haaland quiet in both matches against Manchester City and Carragher opted to leave out the Norwegian, in favor of Ollie Watkins. He added: "I actually think in the biggest the games, I've been slightly disappointed with Haaland.

"The games against Liverpool and Arsenal, when he has come up against the real elite defenders, I think they have got the better of him." Van Dijk was the only Liverpool nominee in Carragher and Gary Neville's line-ups, although a stat-based XI suggested Trent Alexander-Arnold should have been included for his performances over the campaign.

Carragher Team of Season: Pickford; Saliba, Van Dijk, Gabriel; Rodri, Rice; Palmer, De Bruyne, Ødegaard, Foden; Watkins.

Neville Team of Season: Martinez; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Udogie; Rodri, Rice, Ødegaard; Palmer, Foden, Haaland

Stat-based XI: Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Saliba, Andersen, Robinson; Rodri; Saka, Ødegaard, Palmer, Foden; Haaland

Liverpool.com says: It is fair to say that Virgil van Dijk has led by example this season. The skipper has really stepped up to the plate when it mattered and shows no sign of slowing down. He will be 33 this summer so cannot go on forever, but Liverpool faces an almighty task in trying to replace him.