Bayern Munich and England talisman Harry Kane has selected the most difficult opponent of his career, with Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk overlooked.
Speaking to Goal, Kane was presented with eight center-backs that he has faced so far in his career: Van Dijk, Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Antonio Rudiger, John Terry, Ruben Dias, Giorgio Chiellini, and Mats Hummels. But while many would have expected him to pick Van Dijk, the 31-year-old chose Chelsea icon Terry as the best defender he has ever come up against.
Kane has played against Liverpool a total of 17 times in his career. In that period, he has only come out on the winning side once, which was two months before the Reds agreed to sign Van Dijk from Southampton.
He lost the Champions League final against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in 2019 and has lost 10 times against the Reds in all competitions, but has scored nine times in those fixtures.
This season, Kane won the first trophy of his career when Bayern Munich took back the Bundesliga title from Bayer Leverkusen. Spurs, meanwhile, the team he left in search of silverware, also won something, collecting the Europa League under Ange Postecoglou.
Van Dijk, who has won the Premier League with Liverpool, will lift that trophy on Sunday after the Reds have played Crystal Palace. And the Dutchman has been looking forward to the moment for some time.
(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
“There’s a lot of — how do you call it? — I won’t say dreaming because it will be a reality but I can picture it and it will be a very emotional day,” Van Dijk told reporters at Stamford Bridge earlier this month.
“My family will be there, my mum, my wife, my kids. But until we get there, we must keep focusing on the games ahead of us and try to win the last three games in front of us.
“Hopefully [it will be] even better than what we had after the Champions League final. I already encouraged everyone to wear red in the last game and keep doing that for the rest of the season because everyone saw how amazing it was.
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“For so many fans and people that have been going to Anfield for so many years, it was one of their best days ever.
“Hopefully the 25th will top that and the parade will be even more crazy than ever and there will be even more people coming from around the world to be in Liverpool to come and be with us.”
Liverpool’s players will leave the field at full-time against Crystal Palace while a stage is erected. They will then return for the presentation ceremony, where Reds legend Alan Hansen will hand the trophy to Van Dijk.
Liverpool.com says: Van Dijk is the best center-back of his generation. Tying him down to a new two-year contract at Anfield was a must, and Arne Slot will have been relieved when that was confirmed.
