The club captain has been almost under the radar for his impressive displays so far this term.
Van Dijk was thought to be past his best after a serious knee injury, but now looks better than ever.
The Scottish left-back stated: "The injury he had was horrendous - one of the worst you could get in football. It will always take time to get back to your level. I think he got back pretty quickly to that. It's was then about getting his sharpness and his fitness.
"Now, when he's at his best he makes it look easy. It's not. He works so hard. He's an excellent professional. It might look easy from the outside. It isn't. He's obviously a pleasure to play alongside. I help him and he helps me - we talk to each other throughout the game.
"But, yes, I think he's better than ever just now. He's our main man at the back. He's pushing us all and he has been fantastic so far. We need him to keep going for the rest of the season and all the lads do the same."