Gary Neville Admits He 'Loved' Dejan Lovren & Calls Liverpool Star a 'Top Centre Half'
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has admitted he was wrong to think that Dejan Lovren wasn't good enough for Croatia, calling the Liverpool defender 'a top centre half'.
Lovren has been much maligned since joining Liverpool from Southampton in 2014, but the second half of last season produced some of his best performances in a red shirt.
Lovren also formed a solid partnership with Domagoj Vida at international level and their performances helped Croatia reach their first ever World Cup final last summer - proving Neville wrong in the process.
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"I have to say that for me with Lovren, when he was at Southampton I absolutely loved him. When Liverpool signed him it didn’t surprise me at all," he said, quoted by the Liverpool Echo.
"I think it took him time to settle in. I think now he actually seems to be getting better again. He’s passionate about playing for his country.
"I did think that he and Vida at the World Cup would struggle, I thought he would give them more problems.
"But they did quite well in the game in the end. He’s confident in himself, he’s got a lot of belief. To be fair, when he’s at his best he’s a top centre half."
Neville was speaking ahead of Croatia's UEFA Nations League match against England on Sunday, which ended with a 2-1 victory for the Three Lions, relegating Lovren's Croatia to League B.
Lovren has played as many minutes in the Nations League as the Premier League this season, with injuries and the impressive Joe Gomez keeping him out of the Liverpool starting lineup.
