Lucas Moura has played down claims that Virgil Van Dijk is the best defender in world football.
The Spurs star faced off against the Liverpool giant on several occasions last term - including the Champions League final defeat in Madrid.
Van Dijk has attracted the plaudits over the last 12 months with many backing him as a dark horse for the Ballon d'Or which is awarded at the back end of this year.
However, speaking to Brazilian journalist Bolivia on YouTube channel Desimpedidos (via Sport Witness) , Moura cast doubt over the Van Dijk's credentials to be named the worlds' best defender.
He said: "Dude, now this question there I don’t know if it’s true.
"They say he hasn’t been dribbled past since… whatever. If the guy is past him, it’s already a dribble.
"Have I already gone past him? I don’t know, but the guys must have gone past him now.
"I know I scored a goal against Liverpool (at Anfield in Tottenham's 2-1 defeat in March), we lost, but I scored against Liverpool and he was left behind. But he’s great. He is.”
Asked if Van Dijk is the best in the world, Moura replied: "In the world? There are a lot of people there. But for the season, I think he’s among the three. Among the three!
"Hey, the guy’s good. He’s two metres tall, strong, and the Liverpool team is a very good fit, with a lot of chemistry. So he had an excellent season."
