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#1 Virgil Van Dijk
If somebody told you that Liverpool were going to sort out their defence so well that one of their central defenders would have a very realistic chance of winning the Ballon d'Or back in 2017, you'd have possibly become a laughing stock at the corner pub. However, that's just exactly how things have panned out.
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The UEFA Player of the Year, Virgil Van Dijk is so evidently a cut above the rest. An absolute colossus of a defender, there is no getting past him. Athletic, agile, strong and level-headed, he is that rare defender who can stick a foot out to stop a menacing-looking attack just as well as he can thump a 60 yarder into the path of his strikers to upset the opposition's goal.
Virgil Van Dijk provides Liverpool the stage on which Liverpool perform their heavy metal football artistry and boy, it's a joy to behold. This might well be the first time that a centre-back wins the Ballon d'Or after Fabio Cannavaro in 2006 and we can tell you that if Van Dijk does end up with the Ballon d'Or, there can be no complaints whatsoever.
