West Ham United and Ghanaian star Mohammed Kudus has named Liverpool captain Virgil Van Dijk as the toughest opponent he’s faced. Kudus, who joined West Ham from Ajax for around £38 million in the summer, spoke highly of the Reds center-back in a recent interview.
During an appearance on the Iron Cast podcast, Kudus mentioned Van Dijk as his toughest opponent:
“Obviously Van Dijk, I played against him in the Champions League home and away – he’s the hardest opponent I have faced. Strong, fast, and he wins all the duels. Yes, he tries to get into your head.”
Kudus faced Van Dijk across two Champions League group matches when he was with Ajax, with Liverpool emerging victorious on both occasions.
While Van Dijk has proven to be a formidable opponent, Kudus had his moment in the spotlight against Liverpool. In the first meeting at Anfield, he scored a goal with a powerful shot into the roof of Alisson’s net, cancelling out Mohamed Salah’s opener. Although it seemed like the match would end in a draw, Joel Matip scored an 89th-minute winner for Liverpool.
In the subsequent encounter at the Johan Cruyff ArenA in Amsterdam, Liverpool won comfortably 3-0, with Kudus coming off the bench in the second half without making a significant impact.
