Paul Ince believes Virgil van Dijk can be Liverpool’s version of Eric Cantona as the Reds aim to end their 29-year wait for a Premier League title.
Jurgen Klopp’s men are five points clear of second-placed Manchester City with 14 games to go.
And Ince, who won two league titles with Manchester United before spending two seasons at Anfield in the 1990s, says Van Dijk’s influence on Liverpool’s team is similar to the one Cantona had at Old Trafford.
United signed Cantona in 1992 and the Frenchman played a key role as the club ended a 26-year wait for a title, with him crucial to another three league triumphs.
Since becoming the world’s most expensive defender 12 months ago, Van Dijk, a £75million signing from Southampton, has helped transform Liverpool into title contenders.
Ince told The Times: “When we brought Eric Cantona in, it was the final piece of the jigsaw.
“When he came into the changing room for the first time, he was a big man, a big presence of a man, and his attitude matched our attitude. He had a will to win titles, he wanted to be successful.
“Are we talking about the same thing with Virgil van Dijk? Is he the one? The goalkeeper [Alisson] has come in and done well but I look at Van Dijk and think he has made the rest of the players around him better.
“Liverpool have that presence about them. That presence that we had. Teams have got to be scared about coming up against you. People look and think, ‘Jesus, we have got Liverpool next week.’
“This team has that now and that is a good quality to have when you are going for a title.”