Virgil van Dijk is the mountain among the men that compete in England’s Premier League.
The Liverpool defender will win the Players’ Player of the Year Award for the 2018-19 season, The Mail’s Matt Lawton and the London Evening Standard’s David Lynch reported Wednesday. Van Dijk has backstopped a Liverpool defense, which boasts the Premier League’s stingiest defense and has helped the Reds contend for domestic and UEFA Champions League glory this season.
Van Dijk is a finalist for the award, and Liverpool teammate Sadio Mane, Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva, Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero and Chelsea’s Eden Hazard are his rivals for the PFA prize.
Members of England’s players union determine their player of the year by vote, and the PFA will announce van Dijk as the winner Thursday. He’ll receive his trophy Sunday in London at a ceremony.
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah won the Players’ Player of the Year Award last season. He and van Dijk join Luis Suarez (2013-14), Steven Gerrard (2005-06), John Barnes (1987-88), Ian Rush (1983-84), Kenny Dalglish (1982-83) and Terry McDermott (1979-80) as Liverpool players who have claimed one of English soccer’s two most prestigious individual prizes.
