It is very hard to find a good defender who is strong and good with the ball. Very hard.
It's not only Van Dijk who can stop Ronaldo. But Ronaldo is good enough to create against really good defenders.
In Italy, you must think faster than defenders. It is a tough school.
I think as a central defender you grow as a player.
As a defender, you can be many shapes and sizes. You can be short and fast. Or you can be tall and jump high. It doesn't matter. The only necessity is that you are confident when you take the pitch - because every week there is a new challenge.
I need to be more aggressive, more vocal, be a better defender. I've worked on all those tirelessly.
I have the tools and the size to be a good defender. I've just got to be able to put it all together.
Positional play is good for training, but in games, to win matches, you need someone who can go past defenders and take chances.
Ideally, you want a defender with Premier League experience.
If you've got a fast and strong defender, on the left, I feel like I can give him trouble going down the line, coming inside, or making runs in behind.
