High praise.
As John Giles always said, the starting point for any player is “honesty of effort.” And there’s no doubt that Dirk Kuyt has that quality in spades.
The former Liverpool utility man has never been the most talented player, but he’s still going strong at 36 years of age and captained Feyenoord to victory over Manchester United on Thursday night in the Europa League.
Paul Pogba, the world’s most expensive footballer, was largely anonymous in the game, the second time this week his performances for United have been criticised, following on from his quiet display against Manchester City.
The 23-year-old knows a good performance when he sees one though, as Kuyt revealed following the 1-0 win over United that Pogba paid him a nice compliment.
“Paul Pogba told me on the field it is amazing I am still running and flying,” Kuyt told Dutch media.
“It is beautiful that he has respect for me, especially because he is one of the best players in Europe.”
Kuyt also revealed what he said to his teammates before the game.
“I told the guys that we would have a good chance if they are four or five percent would give less than normal. We have fought us in the game and patiently waited for our chances.”
Read more from SportsJOE:
