Top 5 early contenders for PFA Player of the Year | Premier League 2019-20

#3 Virgil van Dijk

Virgil van Dijk is in contention for his second consecutive PFA Player of the Year award

Liverpool, in the early half of the Premier League season, resorted to their incredible mentality of scoring last-ditch winners after their defense had kept only two clean-sheets up until December. Since then, however, the Reds haven’t conceded a goal in seven straight Premier League games, which include trips to Leicester and Spurs, and home fixtures against Manchester United and Wolves. This remarkable defensive resurgence has everything to do with their principle centre-back Virgil van Dijk.

Fans and pundits around the world have run out of superlatives to describe the Dutchman’s influence on Jurgen Klopp’s team. Van Dijk was signed by the club in January 2018, and has since then shown the world his immense capability and unmatched mentality. He has been stalwart in the Liverpool defense, hardly putting a foot wrong in his two years at Anfield. He led the club to their first Champions League title in 14 years and is currently on course to bring home their first domestic championship of the Premier League era.

The Liverpool centre-back won the PFA Player of the Year award last season

Van Dijk’s £75 million price-tag was laughed at by many, but his leadership qualities, inch-perfect defending and clutch goalscoring has shut down all critics who doubted his move from Southampton. The 28-year-old centre-half already has four goals to his name in the Premier League this season, as many he had in the whole of last season. His opener against Manchester United recently was a testament to his strength in character.

Van Dijk was named as the PFA Player of the Year last season and who’s to say the Ballon D’or runner-up cannot go on and win the coveted award again?