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What's the story?
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has hailed Virgil van Dijk, following his UEFA Men's Player of the Year award win, calling the prize "the icing on the cake" of the Reds' Champions League glory.
In case you didn't know...
Van Dijk edged out award regulars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to be named the UEFA Men's Player of the Year in recognition of his stellar campaign for Liverpool and the Netherlands last term.
The former Southampton defender helped the Reds to the Champions League trophy and played a pivotal role in the team which put up one of the closest battles for the Premier League title in recent history. Klopp's men ultimately lost out on the title by a single point as Manchester City lifted the trophy for the second consecutive time.
Internationally, the Liverpool centre-back captained the Netherlands to the UEFA Nations League final but was unable to get past Portugal to win the inaugural tournament.
The heart of the matter
Klopp was quick to heap praise on his star defender but maintained that Van Dijk's triumph would not have been possible without the rest of the Liverpool squad.
Speaking to the club's official website, he said,
"Brilliant! It’s really big. I wanted to call him immediately but he had to go on stage. I’m so happy for him.
"I’m happy for us as well because he knows that without the boys around him, he cannot win that prize. It’s a prize for all of us – but we send our big man there to get it.
"It’s big. It’s really rare for a defender. It’s such important information for football, such an important sign for football. Yes, we all love goals – we want to score them and see them – but more and more and more people get excited about defending.
"Virg is an exceptional defender, in the moment 100 percent the best defender in the world, so he deserves that prize absolutely."
The former Borussia Dortmund boss added,
"It’s now the icing on the cake of the Champions League campaign last year. It’s really big and I’m completely happy for him and his family."
What's next?
Liverpool, who have won their first three games in the Premier League this season, will hope to keep up their winning streak when they face Burnley on Saturday.
