William Saliba has hailed Virgil van Dijk as an influence on his game, citing the Liverpool star as a 'good defender to learn from'.
Saliba recently returned to action with Arsenal after a lengthy injury lay-off. The French defender suffered a season-ending injury back in March - an injury which played a huge part in the Gunners' failure to win their first Premier League title in nearly 20 years.
The defender started for the Gunners in their first pre-season game last week, and is set to feature once again when his side face off against the MLS All-Stars on Thursday.
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Speaking ahead of that game in Washington D.C., Saliba discussed with the Daily Mail who has helped mould his game, citing Van Dijk as an influence on how he plays.
"I still watch him! I really like his quality in one-against-one, his calmness, his composure and his long balls as well. He has everything and, for me, he was a good defender to learn from," Saliba said.
"I think he was – for two or three years – the best defender in the world."
When asked if he can become the best defender in the world in the future, Saliba replied: "Of course I have the quality, but that means nothing. You have to work hard to go to this level. So I'm not close to this level but I will give everything to maybe one day become the best defender in the world.
"I'm looking forward to the future with this club. The future will be good for everyone, I hope. It won't be easy but we will work hard for this and I know the club will be back at the very, very top. We have to do everything to win every title possible."
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This article was originally published on 90min as William Saliba reveals the Liverpool defender he models his game on.
