Manchester United hero Gary Pallister has likened Virgil van Dijk to former teammate Eric Cantona.

Van Dijk's arrival from Southampton prompted a change in Liverpool's fortunes, with Jurgen Klopp's side the runaway Premier League leaders this season - after winning the Champions League last term.

Pallister told the Mirror: "He's a bit like Cantona was for us, that final piece of the jigsaw.

“Liverpool were looking for a really dominant centre half to take them to the next level and they found that in Virgil van Dijk.

“I always remember a good friend of mine, Tony Mowbray, talking about Van Dijk a year or so before he went to Liverpool.

“He was saying, 'I can't believe one of the top four teams haven't bought him because he looks a real exceptional player'.

“Then Liverpool paid what seemed to be over the odds for his services and he has taken to it like a duck to water.

“He is a pivotal figure, a leader that you need in your back four, the final piece of the jigsaw. He has been superb since he has been there."