Liverpool defender Virgil Van Dijk had a very strong full first season with Liverpool and has managed to win the UEFA defender of the season award for the 2018-19 campaign.
Virgil Van Dijk became the most expensive player in the history of Liverpool football club when the Reds paid south coast club Southampton £75 million for the services of the Dutchman. Despite the hefty price tag that was paid off by Liverpool, it seems as if they definitely managed to get the upper half of the deal.
Van Dijk has been a monumental figure for Liverpool over the past 18 months or so transforming the leaky defense into one of the most elite and functioning back lines in the world of football. At the heart of the Liverpool defense, Van Dijk has stamped his authority on Klopp’s side and played a vital role in leading the club to the Champions League title in the summer.
The 28-year-old also won the PFA Player of the Year and became the first defender to win the award since Vincent Kompany back in 2012. Van Dijk also helped Liverpool to 2nd place in the Premier League table finishing just one point behind Manchester City but there was nobody that managed to dribble past the center-back throughout the whole campaign.
Van Dijk scored key goals as well during the Champions League and was the man of the match against Tottenham Hotspur in the final in Madrid and he deservingly won the UEFA Champions League Defender of the 2018-19 season.
