After Fabio Cannavaro in 2006, Virgil van Dijk can become the first defender to win the Ballon d'Or. The Dutch international had a dream first full season with the Reds as he helped them lift the UEFA Champions League, ending their long wait of 14 years.
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Van Dijk was crowned the PFA Player of the Year ahead the likes of Mane, Raheem Sterling, Sergio Aguero and Bernardo Silva after marshaling the Liverpool back line to the league’s best defensive record.
Liverpool's rock has stopped the likes of Aguero, Sterling, Messi and more as he is yet to be dribbled past this season.
The Dutchman's performances throughout the season have been exemplary as he has helped the Reds guard Alisson Becker's goal. His performances against Tottenham in the finals and Barcelona in the second leg would go down as some of the finest in the competition.
The Dutchman even led his national side to the finals of UEFA Nations League but eventually lost to Portugal who beat them 1-0.
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About the author
Samyak Tripathi
Samyak is a European and international football journalist at Sportskeeda, who focuses on writing a variety of listicles. A post-graduate in Finance with over 6 years of total work experience, Samyak became interested in football after watching the 2010 FIFA World Cup and some high-octane El Clasico clashes. His favorite footballer is Cristiano Ronaldo for the forward's mentality, and his favorite managers are Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, and Pep Guardiola for the brand of football their teams showcase.
Samyak only follows top tier and verified fan club social media accounts for sourcing information for his articles. One of his core strengths is crafting crisp and concise articles to avoid any and all potential confusion for readers. These shrewd methods have helped him attain strong readership on his articles, one of them even being read half a million times!
Zinedine Zidane's Panenka penalty in the 2006 final is Samyak’s favorite World Cup moment owing to the Frenchman’s sheer nerves of steel showcased, and thinks Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are ready to usher in a new era post-Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. During his free time, Samyak follows Real Madrid, plays football and reads finance articles.
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