RALPH Hasenhuttl responded to Mohammed Salisu’s target of becoming like former Saints Virgil van Dijk saying: “He still has a way to go, but there’s no reason why he couldn’t learn it.” What makes van Dijk so feared is his stature, speed and rigidity paired with proficiency on the ball like that of a ball-playing midfielder. Hasenhuttl says the latter is the area in which Salisu needs to improve if he wishes to emulate the Dutchman’s skill-set.
Ralph Hasenhuttl said: “It shows you how much he (Salisu) had to learn that it took so long until he was an option for the starting XI. Especially with the ball, he can develop massively. He did it so far. When you speak about van Dijk with his long balls and calmness on the ball, he still has a way to go. But there’s no reason why he couldn’t learn it. A good thing is that in the centre-back position the older you get, the better you get because of the more experience you get. This is definitely a player that showed this season that he deserved to play from the beginning and I’m very happy with his progress.”
