Anderlecht player-manager Vincent Kompany says Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk is the best in Premier League history.

Despite the credentials of Chelsea icon John Terry or former Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic, Kompany claims Van Dijk is the best defender of the Premier League era.

He told Sporf: "I would choose Virgil van Dijk as the best defender in Premier League history.

"It is a strange choice, because he is not on the scene as long as boys like Terry and Ferdinand. Those boys have played in the league for a very long time, but the signs that Van Dijk gives in his last few seasons make it so clear that if he had gone to the absolute top before, he would be even further.

"A defender never stands alone, it is about his communication with teammates and how you make your team stronger. The Liverpool before Van Dijk was there and the Liverpool after Van Dijk was a completely different team. That is why I choose him as the best defender from the Premier League ever."