What Richarlison said about Virgil van Dijk at Everton in 2020 that seems to have left a mark
Harry Dimond
3 minutes
Richarlison and Virgil van Dijk have been in the headlines following their disputes in Liverpool’s 4-0 win over Tottenham, but it comes with understandable reason after the past.
Everton fans will always want the latest on Richarlison after his impact on the football club.
It makes sense as Richarlison and Everton fans’ have a great relationship which is seen every time the player and club meet nowadays.
Tottenham could’ve approved Richarlison joining Everton on transfer deadline day, but a deal never came to fruition.
Frustration boiled over between the Brazilian and Liverpool captain van Dijk during the EFL Cup semi-final on Thursday night, as Toffees fans would no doubt have taken an interest.
Richarlison of Tottenham Hotspur reacts after clashing with Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool during the Carabao Cup Semi Final Second Leg match between…
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
What former Everton star Richarlison and Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk did
With Everton fans begging for a Richarlison return, they might forget about the kind of character the 27-year-old is.
Although that’s what they love about him, he can lose his temper and almost always be involved in some controversy.
That was certainly the case against Liverpool.
During the early minutes of the game, both van Dijk and Richarlison had their first interaction, as the Liverpool stalwart caught the Tottenham forward with a stray arm in a fiery start at Anfield.
The Dutch defender didn’t stop his tricks as later on in the game van Dijk offered to help Richarlison get back up after a collision, but then humorously took his hand away leaving the Spurs striker in disbelief.
However, after what Richarlison has previously said about van Dijk, it makes perfect sense.
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It seemed van Dijk got the last laugh in the game, and to make matters worse Richarlison suffered another injury, but his comments about van Dijk previously may restore a bit of pride.
In an interview during the 2020 lockdown season with the popular South American show, Desimpedidos, Richarlison spoke about van Dijk in a way that wouldn’t have pleased the 6 ft 5 Dutch giant.
“People talk a lot about him,” Richarlison said.
“Yes he is a great defender but I’ve already dribbled past him. For me, there are better defenders.”
The Everton attacker at the time would suggest that Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, and Sergio Ramos are all clear of the Liverpool captain, as the rivalry between the two makes sense.
