"I've never had a good game against him" - Ollie Watkins names ex-Chelsea star as toughest opponent ahead of Liverpool superstar Van Dijk

Ollie Watkins has named former Chelsea defender Thiago Silva over Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk as the toughest opponent he's faced. The Aston Villa striker was in sensational form last season and was a nuisance for several defenders.

The England international took questions from Sky Sports, and one of them was his toughest opponent. He chose between four: Van Dijk, Silva, Wolverhampton Wanderers' Max Kilman, and Manchester City's Ruben Dias.

Watkins ranked Silva above Van Dijk and Dias and explained his decision:

"Some games I feel like I've got the better of Van Dijk and Diaas so the toughest one will be Thiago Silva. I've never had a good game against him to be honest. I just felt like he knew whatever I was going to do, just one step ahead, and obviously experienced. He's played at the highest level for so many years."

Watkins, 28, has faced Silva, 39, eight times during his career and has been on the losing side on four occasions. He's scored just one goal in those games against Chelsea and struggled against the veteran Brazilian.

The Villa frontman has had more joy against Van Dijk, winning two and losing three of seven games. He scored a hat-trick in the Villains' famous 7-2 win against Liverpool in 2020. The former Brentford striker netted the winner for England in a 2-1 win against the Netherlands in the Euro 2024 semifinals earlier this summer.

---

Liverpool captain Van Dijk reportedly used ex-Chelsea hero Thiago Silva as inspiration

Van Dijk, 33, is reaching the latter stages of his career but has shown no signs of wavering. He was superb last season for the Reds, helping them keep 12 clean sheets in 48 games across competitions. He also chipped in with four goals and two assists.

One of those goals was the winner in Liverpool's 1-0 win (a.e.t) against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final. He came up against Silva in that game, and it appears he's using Brazilian longevity as an example.

The Athletic reported last season that Van Dijk was inspired by Silva's continued form at the top level as he entered the twilight of his career. The former PSG man left Stamford Bridge and rejoined Fluminense earlier this summer.

Silva was one of the leading Premier League defenders during his spell in west London. He made 155 appearances and helped the Blues win the UEFA Champions League in 2021.