VIRGIL Van Dijk was once the best in the Premier League. The Dutchman was spoken about as a generational defensive talent, and with good reason as Liverpool won the Premier League and Champions League with van Dijk at the back. Something has changed since then, though. Van Dijk is now a different player.

He’s lost his aura. Van Dijk is making more and more mistakes like the one that saw him receive a red card against Newcastle United on Sunday. Two seasons ago, van Dijk would have reached the ball a split-second earlier. He wouldn’t have cleaned out Alexander Isak and would have played the full 90 minutes at St James’ Park.

This was the first time van Dijk had been sent off in a Premier League match for Liverpool, but it certainly wasn’t an isolated case of the 32-year-old getting it wrong. He was also partly to blame for Bournemouth’s opening goal at Anfield in the second game of the season, although Andy Robertson certainly contributed to the defensive break-down.

For a long time, van Dijk was virtually flawless. He went nearly two full Premier League seasons without being dribbled past by an opposition player. He seemed unbeatable in all areas of the game – in the air, on the ground, from set pieces, in open play. Alongside the likes of Rio Ferdinand and John Terry, Van Dijk more than earned his place in the pantheon of great Premier League defenders.

Van Dijk is so important to the way Liverpool player under Jurgen Klopp. Their approach is a high-risk one and so the Dutchman is their defensive safety net. His physical attributes – natural strength and speed – allow him to cover a lot of ground and snuff out the threat of opposition attackers. Or at least they used to.

Technically, van Dijk remains one of the best around. The Dutchman is still exceptional on the ball with his reading of the game something else that gives him an advantage over other players in his position. But at the age of 32, van Dijk’s fading physicality means he can be vulnerable in certain moments – as proved to be the case at St James’ Park on Sunday.

Liverpool focused their transfer market efforts this summer on rebuilding their midfield. Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Naby Keita departed the club with Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo arriving. It will take some time for the Reds to settle in the centre of the pitch after so much turnover.

There are other areas of Liverpool’s team that requires attention, though. Klopp has already started replenishing his attacking line with Roberto Firmino pushed out at the end of last season and Sadio Mane sold to Bayern Munich 12 months ago. Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez were brought in as the new generation.

Defensively, though, Klopp has left his team largely untouched. Ibrahima Konate joined Liverpool from RB Leipzig two years ago, but the Frenchman isn’t a guaranteed starter. The back four – van Dijk, Robertson, Joel Matip and Trent Alexander-Arnold – that started against Newcastle United have been considered starters for the last five years. Replenishment is clearly required.

It would be premature to write off van Dijk even as he enters the twilight of his career. He can still be an important part of a successful Liverpool team, but Klopp must take into account how the 32-year-old isn’t the same player he was even as recently as two seasons ago. Liverpool might have to adapt their style of play to compensate for this. This isn’t the same van Dijk.