Since moving to Anfield from Southampton in 2018, Van Dijk has forged his reputation for being one of the best at his craft as he helped the Reds secure the Champions League and the Premier League.
Liverpool have had to endure the absence of their star centre-back for the majority of this season after Van Dijk picked up a ligament injury during October of last year in a Premier League game against Everton.
With the Reds being below par in the Premier League and Van Dijk looking unlikely to return to the Liverpool starting eleven this season, Mignolet has admitted that the Reds are lesser team due to his absence.
Mignolet insisted that Van Dijk is vital to Liverpool’s success as he stated that the Reds concede many fewer goals when the Dutch man spearheads the defence.
“Without Van Dijk house of cards collapses”, Mignolet told Belgian outlet Sporza.
“He is the man that stabilises the whole team.
“Without him the whole house of cards collapses.
“When I was still there, there was a Liverpool with and a Liverpool without Virgil van Dijk.
“He arrived when I was already on the bench and even from there you could see his importance because we conceded so many fewer goals with him [in the team].”
Van Dijk will not be playing in the Champions League when he returns to full fitness in time for next season if Liverpool cannot finish in the top four this term.
