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The Twitterati were all-praise for Liverpool's defensive stalwart Virgil van Dijk after a commanding performance in the UEFA Champions League final yesterday night. The Dutchman hardly provided the Tottenham forwards a sniff of the Liverpool goal front, keeping out the likes of Heung Min-Son, Lucas Moura, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane. Goals from Mohamed Salah and Divock Origi helped the Merseysiders win the final 2-0.
UEFA announced van Dijk as the official Man of the Match for the final following his brilliant display, with Thomas Schaaf, leader of the UEFA Technical Observers, remarking:
"Van Dijk showed outstanding leadership and was Liverpool's best defender. He made crucial interventions when needed and played with a cool head throughout."
Virgil van Dijk didn't forget to heap praise on his teammates and manager Jurgen Klopp after collecting the award at a post-match press conference.
"In the second half we were sitting back a bit and they put pressure on us, but overall I think we're deserved Champions League winners. "[Klopp] is a fantastic manager and a fantastic human being. It's an amazing environment to be in and I'm really proud to play for this beautiful club. We're all ambitious and we all want to have these kinds of nights so let's go for it – work hard and stay humble. I expect a lot from the party today and tomorrow!"
Van Dijk has finished the season with an incredible stat – he is the only defender in Europe's top 5 leagues to not have been dribbled past on a single occasion this season! With 22 clean sheets in 38 games, he also masterminded the meanest defensive record in the Premier League this season, which helped Jurgen Klopp's men to mount an impressive title challenge to eventual EPL winners Manchester City.
Having won the PFA Players' Player of the Year title in the Premier League already, the Dutchman is now the front-runner to win this season's Ballon d'Or along with Barcelona ace Lionel Messi.
