Virgil van Dijk has named former Chelsea man Olivier Giroud as the hardest striker he’s played against in his entire career.
Giroud, who was sold by Chelsea to AC Milan in 2021, is a really underrated attacker that’s achieved so much.
The 36-year-old doesn’t fit the criteria of being an exciting forward blessed with rapid pace, but he’s still the scorer of some spectacular and important goals. He’s only two goals short of matching Thierry Henry’s record as France’s all-time leading goalscorer, too.
The left-footer dropped a masterclass last night in the Champions League to help AC Milan qualify for the knockout rounds, scoring two goals and making two assists in a 4-0 win over Red Bull Salzburg.
He’s not a player most would immediately think of when you talk about the elite players from the past decade. He’s received some glowing praise from Liverpool’s Van Dijk in a recent interview, though.
Van Dijk against Giroud
Van Dijk, who most regard as one of the best centre-backs in the game, has admitted he’s always finds it very difficult to defend against Giroud.
He’s certainly a streetwise forward that’s so intelligent with his movement and can be clinical in the box.
When asked the hardest striker he’s faced in his career, Van Dijk told The Overlap: “Funny enough, Giroud. I feel like I got him but in some way he always managed to score.
“Whether it was with Arsenal, Chelsea or France. I said it to him when we won the league and we won 5-2, we were 3-0 up and he scored a scrappy goal. And I said you scored again!
“I would say that he is the guy that scores against me and just the annoying person. I’m going for Giroud because he’s a bogeyman – annoying!”
Giroud has 22 goals in 55 Milan appearances and won the Serie A title with them last season. Therefore, some Chelsea fans out there will still annoyed he did exit Stamford Bridge last year.
The Blues dealt with him fairly comfortably in the doubler header against Milan in October during the Champions League group stages, but he’s still more than able to score at the top level.
Mohamed Salah said earlier this year he still regards Giroud as a “top player”.
There’s no greater sign of an individual’s quality than high praise from your peers and opposition players.
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