Ranking the top 5 favorites for the 2019 Ballon d'Or

#2 Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool / The Netherlands)

Van Dijk has been a rock at the back for Liverpool

Virgil van Dijk had a spectacular first full season with Liverpool. He was an integral part of what turned out to be the meanest defense in the league, conceding just 22 goals and keeping 21 clean sheets.

These are numbers that would hardly have been believed few years before his arrival. To say that Van Dijk was one of the cornerstones in the transformation of Liverpool's defense would be stating the painfully obvious.

The Dutch international had remarkable numbers last season at the heart of The Reds' defense. He finished as the player with the second-most passes (3,037), behind only Jorginho, in addition to 38 attempted tackles with a 74% success rate.

Van Dijk won 244 of the 322 duels he competed in and made 199 clearances. He also showed his usefulness in the attacking third with four goals and two assists, to help Liverpool to a second-place finish in the league.

For his efforts, Van Dijk was voted as the PFA Player of the Year, UEFA Men's Player of the Year, UEFA Best defender and FIFA Best Defender. He was arguably the favorite to clinch the FIFA Best Men's Player award too but was beaten to the accolade by Lionel Messi.

Liverpool's defense has been less stellar this season, while Van Dijk has also not looked as assured. But the Reds are still the trailblazers in the league, while they are also on course to defend their Champions League title.