Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has described Manchester United defender Harry Maguire as England's Virgil van Dijk.
Van Dijk has established himself as one of, if not the, best central-defender in the world over the last two seasons after his record-breaking transfer from Southampton.
His signing gave Liverpool the defensive steel they needed to match their attacking flair, and Jurgen Klopp's side have since reached two consecutive Champions League finals and are on the verge of winning the Premier League.
United broke the world-record fee for a defender which had been set by Van Dijk's move when they finally managed to prise Maguire away from Leicester City, and Maguire has made his side considerably better at the back, while being made captain after just half a season at Old Trafford.
Maguire is also a near guarantee to start for England and Carragher believes that Liverpool's Joe Gomez could form a similar partnership with the Yorkshireman at international level as he has with Van Dijk at Anfield.
"I think Gomez, if the European Championships would have been on in the summer, I think he’s the one that would have gone alongside Harry Maguire," Carragher told Sky Sports’ The Football Show.
"I think Harry Maguire is the Virgil van Dijk of England if you like, he’s that big commanding figure and he’s the one who’s almost the first centre-back on the team sheet.
"There was a back three in there at the last tournament, there was John Stones who’s almost fallen away a little bit really. It looked like there was decent competition at centre-back, but for me it looks like Joe Gomez.
"Even though he’s had some injury problems, I think the first time he was fit Gareth Southgate put him straight back in, that shows what he thinks of him."
