James Milner has described Liverpool defensive stalwart Virgil van Dijk as "more of a Rolls-Royce" than former Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany.
The former England international has played with both centre-backs and was given the testing job of picking between them.
Under Kompany's captaincy, Milner won two Premier League titles, the FA Cup and the League Cup before joining Liverpool in 2015.
With the Reds, Milner has won the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup thanks in part to the remarkable defensive performances of van Dijk.
And the 34-year-old believes Kompany and van Dijk possess different attributes while refusing to be drawn into saying that one player is superior.
Questioned about the duo by Sky Sports, Milner said: "They are massive players. You always look at the spine of a successful team and it starts right through the middle with the leaders at the back and how important defending is.
"Vinny - unbelievable player. How he went about his business, he struggled with injuries but the amount of injuries you saw him play through as well which nobody would have ever known, was incredible.
Questioned about the duo by Sky Sports, Milner said: "They are massive players. You always look at the spine of a successful team and it starts right through the middle with the leaders at the back and how important defending is.
"Vinny - unbelievable player. How he went about his business, he struggled with injuries but the amount of injuries you saw him play through as well which nobody would have ever known, was incredible.
"He would put his head on the line. An unbelievable leader, a great captain with so many great qualities on that side, and rightly so, one of the greatest defenders to play in the Premier League.
"Virgil is probably a bit different to that. Maybe a bit more of a Rolls-Royce, if you like, and he doesn't seem to make too many tackles. He gets in the right spot and moves the ball away."
Milner also assessed the pair's ball-playing and shooting ability, recalling Kompany's thunderous strike to earn Manchester City a valuable three points over Leicester City last season.
"Maybe he's [van Dijk's] got a few more diagonals in his locker than Vinny had, although Vinny did have that as well," Milner added. "And Vinny had the greatest ball strike, I suppose, when he lashed one into the top corner! So, he could strike a ball alright as well."
