Josko Gvardiol shares what he really thinks about Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk

A Manchester City defender has revealed that Virgil van Dijk is the player he grew up watching.

When a player is asked which player he admired as a child, the expected answer is usually one of the legends of the past.

One of Liverpool’s defenders could choose Steve Nicol or Alan Hansen, two players who were exceptional during their time at Anfield.

However, younger players in the modern game didn’t grow up watching these old stars. Many of them have even had the chance to play alongside or against their football idols, as they have not yet retired.

This applies to Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol, whose favorite player growing up may come as a surprise.

When the Crotia international was asked who his football idol was as a boy Manchester cityhe replied:[Virgil] van Dijk.”

Gvardiol and Van Dijk may both play in the same league, but there is a ten and a half year age difference between the two. In fact, Gvardiol was only 11 years old when the Dutchman got his first taste of Champions League football while playing for Celtic.

While it makes sense that Gvardiol grew up watching and drawing inspiration from Van Dijk, naming the Liverpool captain as his idol will undoubtedly cause controversy.

Manchester City and Liverpool may not have a rivalry on the scale of the mutual hatred between Liverpool and Manchester United, or the Mersyside derb. However, there have been plenty of tensions between the club’s supporters on matchdays when the two teams have faced off.

This is likely due to the Premier League season in which Liverpool and Man City battled for the title, a common story during Jurgen Klopp’s reign.

However, Gvardiol did not join the Cityzens until 2023. He previously played for Dinamo Zagreb and RB Leipzig, so perhaps this team’s supporters will forgive him for choosing Van Dijk.

Furthermore, Van Dijk may be a hero to many Liverpool fans now, but his career started at Groningen.

If Gvardiol’s idol had been someone like Jamie Carragher, a player who dedicated his entire career to Liverpool, the reaction from City fans could have been a very different story.

Van Dijk should be happy that he is inspiring the next generation, even if that involves players joining his rivals. It just goes to show how important a player the 34-year-old has been over the years, not just for Liverpool, but for English club football as a whole.