Former Chelsea defender Jason Cundy has taken fresh aim at Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk.

Cundy has downplayed the influence of the Breda-born superstar, stating that he isn't even considering him in the list of the Premier League' s best defenders at present.

"Van Dijk is nowhere near the top three, four, five or six centre halves in the country right now!" Cundy told talkSPORT.

"He's no where near Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Sol Campbell. He's nowhere near it. "[I'm not putting him] anywhere near them. He can't lace their boots! I'm telling you now, Van Dijk is a brilliant centre-half. But the longevity, the injuries have killed him, they have. [Vincent] Kompany, better centre-half and longevity.

"John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell. Tarkowski has had a better season than him. [Conor] Coady. [Eric] Dier. [William] Saliba. This has got to stop. This conversation. He's been a brilliant centre-half, but this has got to stop. He's living off some sort of train that didn't actually leave the station! He's won one Champions League and one Premier League!"