Football News

Van Dijk hails potential of Germany defender Süle: “He has a great future ahead of him”

By John Smith

Published: 17:07, 9 September 2019

Virgil van Dijk has revealed he has been “watching the development” of Bayern Munich defender Niklas Süle with great interest.

Süle has emerged from the shadow of the likes of Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng in recent years as Bayern’s main centre-back, winning two Bundesliga titles since joining from Hoffenheim in 2017.

How good can Süle become? Five things to know…

  • Süle joined Bayern from Hoffenheim for £17m in 2017.
  • The centre-back has won two Bundesliga titles since then.
  • His form with Bayern has helped him become a mainstay of the German national team.
  • Süle completed more passes (2,379) than any other Bayern player in the Bundesliga last term.
  • Van Dijk has revealed he’s been keeping track of Süle‘s progress for some time.

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He has also become a key part of Joachim Low’s Germany side and faced Van Dijk in Die Mannschaft’s 4-2 defeat to Holland on Friday – Süle‘s 20th senior international cap and the third time he’s faced the Uefa Defender of the Year for club and country.

Speaking after that game, Van Dijk admitted he has been keeping an eye on Süle for a while now, predicting a “great future” for the 24-year-old.

“I’ve been watching Süle’s development for a long time,” he said. “I’ve played against him often, he is a very talented defender. Süle has a great future ahead of him. He plays for a big club and is already a cornerstone there.”

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Germany can recover from their defeat to the Netherlands when they face Northern Ireland in their Euro 2020 Group C qualifier on Monday evening.

Low’s side sit second in the group, three points behind their next opponents and three ahead of the Dutch – albeit having played a game more.

Süle will then turn his attention to domestic matters as his Bayern side travel to Bundesliga leaders RB Leipzig on Saturday.