Ronald Koeman ranks Virgil van Dijk as one of the best two defenders on the planet.
And the Dutch boss says it was an easy decision to make the Liverpool centre-half captain of the national team.
The ex-Everton boss took charge of Holland in February last year and has overseen a revival of fortunes in his six games in charge.
Koeman is managing a vibrant Holland side, who meet England in the Nations League semi-finals on Thursday, and one led by Reds colossus Van Dijk.
The 56-year-old has heaped praise on the “leader” and believes there is only one other defender who can match him in world football.
Asked if Van Dijk is the leading centre-back in the world, Koeman said: “One of.
“One of the best defenders, I think maybe Pique at Barcelona, but he was also not playing well against Liverpool, but he is one of the two or three best defenders.”
Van Dijk is expected to partner Ajax skipper Matthijs De Ligt in Guimares, Portugal later this week and Koeman says the pair are better defenders than he ever was.
“First of all, I wasn’t in my time really a defender. I was more a midfield player but they put me in defence to use my qualities from the back,” he said.
“But I was not the quality defender of De Ligt or Virgil. They are playing in teams, most of the time, at the back. These teams are so offensive that they have to stay back as a defender. That position, they are learning.
“When you look at Virgil now, this is a big, big personality on the pitch. He is a leader. That was one of the reasons I made him captain of the national team. I knew him from Southampton. I thought “he can do more – he can carry more responsibility.”
“He is strong, he has a great character and enjoys the responsibility. He is also a good boy.
“De Ligt is only 19! If you watch him play, you do not see a player who is only 19. You see a player who plays with so much more experience than he actually has. The season that he had – and all the young boys at Ajax had – is great for their development as a player.”
Koeman added: “You see Virgil sometimes passing the ball, eh?
“He plays it 60 yards to the right-winger or the right full-back, who is up the pitch. They can do more. They can do more. But they are top, top defence players. We have the best centre defenders with De Ligt and Virgil.
“That’s great because you build the house, always, from downstairs. You don’t start with the roof. That is the target as a manager: goalkeeper, defender. The centre part of the team has to be strong. Wijnaldum, Depay, De Jong and the young players. We have a great future.”
