Joel Matip has lauded Liverpool teammate Virgil van DIjk as the "complete defender".

The Dutchman has established himself as one of the world's centre-backs this season.

Asked about van Dijk's contributions to the Reds' form, Matip said: "He's a great defender.

"And being around him, I think everybody improves. He has had a big impact on the improvement. It's great to play [with] him. He's a complete defender and he knows what to do.

"Every defender does things a little bit differently. You always need some time to really know each other. This is normal. I think we need this time in a good way and this is working most of the time quite well."