'So much potential': Virgil van Dijk raves about rumoured Manchester United target

Side-on close-up shot of Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk (Image credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk has been singing the praises of reported Manchester United target Jurrien Timber.

Ajax centre-half Timber – an international teammate of Netherlands captain Van Dijk – was strongly linked with a move to Old Trafford to reunite with Erik ten Hag over the summer.

The 21-year-old ultimately stayed at Ajax – seemingly in order to ensure regular football in the run-up to the World Cup 2022 – but speculation surrounding his future persists.

According to transfer supremo Fabrizio Romano in his column for CaughtOffside, Timber is unlikely to leave Ajax until at least next summer – but Van Dijk already has exceedingly high hopes for his compatriot, who can also play at right-back.

Jurrien Timber, Netherlands

Jurrien Timber (Image credit: Andre Weening/BSR Agency/Getty Images)

Speaking ahead of the Netherlands' Nations League clash with rivals Belgium on Sunday night – their final game before the World Cup – Van Dijk said:

"I wasn't nearly as far along as [Timber] is now [when I was the same age].

"I have nothing but praise for him. He is a great player and a true professional.

"He has so much potential. Hopefully, he can develop further. Then it will be alright, I think."

Timber won his eighth Netherlands cap on Thursday night, starting alongside Van Dijk and Manchester City's Nathan Ake in a back three as the Oranje remained top of League A Group 4 of the Nations League with a 2-0 win away to Poland

Louis van Gaal's side kick off their World Cup campaign on 21 November, facing Senegal in the second match of the tournament in Group A – where they're also joined by Ecuador and hosts Qatar.

Tom Hancock

Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for the Premier League and Opta Analyst, among others. He supports Wycombe Wanderers and has a soft spot for Wealdstone. A self-confessed statto, he has been known to watch football with a spreadsheet (or several) open...