Vincent Kompany names Liverpool player with ‘very rare’ trait as dream teammate

Vincent Kompany has hailed Virgil van Dijk, and named the Liverpool captain as his dream teammate.

The pair battled against each other as Liverpool and Manchester City went head-to-head for the Premier League title. Kompany came out on top in his final season at the Etihad in 2019, before Van Dijk got his hands on the trophy the following year.

The pair never got the chance to play together, with Kompany retiring from playing in 2020 before taking up a career in management. The 38-year-old is currently in charge of Burnley, but suffered relegation from the Premier League on Saturday following a 2-1 defeat to Tottenham.

Before the game in north London, Kompany was asked to name his dream seven-a-side team as part of an interview with Sky Sports. Having named himself in the side, the former City captain picked Van Dijk as his defensive partner.

“I’d have to play with Virgil, yeah I think we would’ve been a good pairing,” Kompany said. “Now, I couldn’t play with him, because I’d have to do all the running, but the younger version of him when he could’ve done the running for me,” Kompany joked.

“His [Van Dijk] understanding of the game, and obviously he’s able to back it up with the execution as well. But his understanding of the game, his leadership, his all-round profile as a defender — I really think that it’s very rare, to have very few weaknesses.”

As well as himself and Van Dijk, Kompany also named Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in his side, along with former City teammate Kevin De Bruyne. Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and Carlos Tevez made up the rest of the team.