Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has revealed the man whom he believes is leading the race for the ‘Player of the Year’ award and it is Liverpool’s defensive rock.
This has been a season to remember for even the neutral football fans with the race for the Premier League title building up to be one of the best over the past few years.
Several players from the Liverpool squad have been at their best this season, and that is exactly what is required to keep up with a team as spoiled with talent as champions Manchester City are.
With the Reds still in the thick of the title race, talks about post-season awards will not be the priority for most of the players for now.
But with the voting for the PFA Player of the Year already underway, some of the pundits have already been picking whom they think should win the ward.
According to Gary Neville, Virigil van Dijk, who moved to the club less than a year-and-a-half ago, is the man who deserves the award.
“It wasn’t the signing itself that surprised me, it was the amount,” he told Sky Sports when discussing Liverpool’s £75million move for Van Dijk last January.” Neville said, as per the Liverpool Echo
“I remember when Manchester City signed Kyle Walker for £50m it left me thinking ‘wow that’s incredible’ and the same with Virgil van Dijk.
“However, watching him in this last 12 months, everyone has given him the praise he deserves.
“Honestly, every time I watch Liverpool play, even if Matip misses it or two full-backs aren’t there because they’ve gone forward, he just seems to cover the whole back four – he is a unique defender.
“Varane and Ramos have been the best centre backs in the world for me over the past few years but there is no doubt this guy is going to be up there in the next few years as the best centre half in the world because I’ve not seen a centre half as good for a long, long time.
“In possession play, his passing is a joke. It’s unbelievable, he passes like a central midfield player, for me he’s the player in the team where everyone will say he’s the one that can’t get injured.
“100 per cent my player of the year and there’s not anyone else close to him.”