Former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey believes Virgil van Dijk is the best defensive leader they've had since Jamie Carragher.

Van Dijk arrived from Southampton in January in a £75million deal to make him the world's most expensive centre-back and Liverpool's defensive upturn in fortunes was almost immediate.

"Defensively has been the main difference [this season]," Heskey told Quest TV.

"They haven't had the sturdiness in the past and they've really struggled with that, they haven't really had that commanding figure since Jamie Carragher left.

"But in Virgil Van Dijk they now have that, they seem to be getting there and he's such a man-mountain he makes such a big difference in that back four."