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Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk Wins Player Of The Year Award Ahead Of Both Messi And Ronaldo
30 August 2019
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• L-R: Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), Alisson Becker (Liverpool), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and Lionel Messi (Barcelona) with their awards at the UEFA Champions League group stage draw ceremony in Monaco …on Thursday.

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has been named UEFA Men’s Player of the Year for 2018/19.

The Dutch international beat off competition from three-time UEFA Men’s Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo and two-time winner Lionel Messi.

The 28-year-old centre-back received the trophy on stage in Monaco during the UEFA Champions League group stage draw.

In addition to the UEFA player of the year award, Van Dijk was also named the defender of the year.

Alisson Becker won the goalkeeper award, beating Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris and Marc-Andre ter Stegen of Barcelona.

Barcelona star Messi beat rival Ronaldo and Liverpool’s Sadio Mane to the forward award, after scoring 12 goals in 10 Champions League appearances for the Catalan giants last season.