OPINION
It’s one thing to talk about impact attacking players, but the difference Virgil van Dijk has made to Liverpool’s defence this season.
The Dutchman was drafted in last January to ease the Reds’ defensive woes and has done a transformative job of marshalling their backline into one of the most solid in Europe.
Obviously he’s not a one-man band, but there can be no argument that he has been the key turning a shaky rearguard into a formidable unit.
So significant has been his contribution that he is surely one of the frontrunners for player of the year, and it would be fully deserved if he did win it.
When asked on their potential candidates for the accolade, Paul Merson, Matt Le Tissier, Phil Thompson, and Charlie Nicholas all name the centre back as a prospective winner, as reported by Sky Sports.
Van Dijk’s was the only name to receive unanimous backing, and that speaks volumes.
His work may be understated most of the time, and he may not grab the headlines in the same way that Mo Salah or Roberto Firmino do, but when all is said and done, his contribution is as important, if not more so, than his teammates’ and he would be a fully deserving winner of the title.
It’s a breath of fresh air for a defender to be recognised on the biggest of stages, and that’s usually a reflection of how easily their work is taken for granted, but van Dijk is so fantastic and so assured in what he does that, right now, he has to be the front runner.
