Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk named PFA Player of the Year
The 27-year-old Dutchman is the first defender to win the prize since Chelsea's John Terry in 2005.
Monday 29 April 2019 05:51, UK
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has been named the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Player of the Year.
The Dutchman saw off tough competition from Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling to take the honour and succeeds his Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah, who won the award last year.
Van Dijk, who signed for Liverpool from Southampton for £75m in January 2018, is the first defender to win PFA Player of the Year since Chelsea's John Terry in 2005.
The 27-year-old has played in all of Liverpool's 35 league games this season, helping the Reds to a league-best 19 clean sheets, having conceded just 20 goals.
Liverpool have only lost one game during their current Premier League campaign and are just a point behind champions Manchester City in one of the closest title races in years.
Following his award win, van Dijk said: "It's pretty difficult to put into words.
"I think it's the highest honour you can get as a player to get voted player of the year by the players you play against every week. It's special. I'm very proud and honoured to receive it.
"If you see the standard of strikers or play-makers we have in the league, it's unbelievable.
"If you see the shortlist and quality there is, it's very special that the players in the league voted for me. I won't take it for granted. It's just very special."
Liverpool and Manchester City players dominated the shortlist for this year's Player of the Year Award, with van Dijk's teammate Sadio Mane, City trio Sterling, Sergio Aguero and Bernardo Silva, and Chelsea's Eden Hazard all in contention.
Sterling was considered van Dijk's main competition for the prize, with the England forward scoring 17 goals and making 10 assists in his 31 league appearances for Pep Guardiola's side.
And despite missing out on the main award, the the 24-year-old City star was named PFA Young Player of the Year.
Vivianne Miedema won the Women's Player of the Year award after scoring 22 times to lead Arsenal Women to their first league title since 2012.
The Women's Young Player of the Year award went to Manchester City forward Georgia Stanway.
The PFA's Special Achievement award was won by Manchester City and England captain Steph Houghton.
Houghton has been one of the leading lights in the English women's game and has drawn praise from coach Phil Neville for her handling of difficulties in her personal life.
Her husband, former Liverpool midfielder Stephen Darby, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease last year and she has stated that she would give up her place at this summer's World Cup finals to care for him if necessary, though he has said he will not let her do that.