“Straightaway he was organising the defence, he was the leader at the back, and as time has gone on he is even more important.
“He gives confidence to the players and makes many other players play better.
“It is very difficult to find a weakness. He is an ultimate centre-back and it would be a pleasure to play alongside him he is so good.
“He is so calm on the ball, he never seems in a hurry and he trusts his skills on the ball.
Sami Hyypia says Virgil van Dijk is the ultimate defender (Image: GETTY)
“It was the right decision [to sign him] because he is so important for the team, it doesn’t matter how much he cost.”
Liverpool go into the Bayern tie as slight favourites but the Germans appear to have put their early-season struggles behind them and they are now second in the Bundesliga and just two points behind leaders Borussia Dortmund.
And manager Jurgen Klopp insists they will not take their opponents lightly when the first leg kicks off at Anfield.
"It's been said we're favourites, but I don't see it that way," he said.
Van Dijk cost Liverpool £75million and is teh world's most expensive defender (Image: GETTY)
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Hyypia believes Van Dijk wis worth every penny such is his importance for Liverpool (Image: GETTY)
"Bayern, with all their strength, experience and class, will be very difficult. We're coming up against a team with incredible quality from back to front."
Klopp’s defence will be at their best to stop the likes off Robert Lewandowski, Franck Ribery and Kingsley Coman, who has been passed fit for the clash.
They have been accused of being vulnerable at the back but they actually boast the fourth meanest defence in Germany’s top tier.
Jurgen Klopp's side are preparing to face Bayern Munich in the Champions League (Image: GETTY)
And Klopp says his star-studded attack will need to be at their best to expose any supposed frailties in their side.
"The quality is there just like it always has been," Klopp said on Bayern’s backline.
"When you've got [Jerome] Boateng, [Mats] Hummels and [Niklas] Sule, how can anyone talk about a shakydefence?"