'Van Dijk is a great leader & Wijnaldum a complete player' - Liverpool duo's talents talked up by Dutch team-mate Babel

Virgil van Dijk and Georginio Wijnaldum have both been singled out for praise by Ryan Babel, who has described the former as a "great leader" and the latter as a "complete player".

Liverpool have established themselves as the dominant force in English football and the Champions League over the last 12 months, picking up a sixth European Cup while also storming clear of their rivals in the Premier League.

Van Dijk has been the first name on Jurgen Klopp's team sheet during that period, and was recognised by UEFA as the best men's player of 2019 for his outstanding performances.

He also finished second in the final Ballon d'Or voting behind Lionel Messi, having been widely credited for bringing much-needed stability to the Reds' defence which had faced plenty of criticism during Klopp's first few years at the helm.

Wijnaldum, meanwhile, has been the model of consistency in midfield, proving himself as a tenacious tackler with superb technical ability.

The 29-year-old has also earned a cult status among supporters due to his two-goal showing in last season's Champions League semi-final victory over Barcelona at Anfield, which saw him take centre stage on a night when Liverpool were without a number of key players.

Babel has played with both men on the international stage for the Netherlands, and is not surprised that the pair have enjoyed so much success in recent years.

"I have no words for Gini's performances and quality," the ex-Liverpool winger told the club's official website. "He's an incredible person. 

"His energy is incredible, he has lungs for days. You can tell when he has the confidence, he's really unbeatable and very hard to play against. 

"He's very complete – he can score goals, he can tackle, can defend, recover balls. Gini's development is also incredible. 

"Gini is definitely a person who is not shy to give his opinion. He has very strong opinions and is very much loved in the team process. Especially in the national team, he's definitely one of the leaders and very important for us."

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Babel added on Van Dijk: "Virgil has developed himself over the last three or four years.

"If you see how he developed since coming to Liverpool, his focus is incredible – 90 minutes fully sharp. 

"Now with the leader that he's become, he definitely deserves it. He's also very important for us in the Dutch team and a great captain. Much respect to him."

The Galatasaray ace - who is currently on loan at Ajax - went on to discuss how it felt playing against Liverpool for the first time with Fulham last season.

"It was my very first experience of playing against an old team of mine that I still very much support," said Babel.

"That season Liverpool was close. In your heart, the Liverpool fan in you wants them to win the league. But at the same time, you have your own duty to fulfil because we needed points as well. 

"From my experience last year, they [Liverpool] are very dynamic, very lively, a lot of energy, a lot of pressing. 

"You can definitely tell it's a team [made from the] hands of Jürgen Klopp."