Virgil van Dijk has established himself as one of the finest defenders in world football since joining Liverpool FC in January 2018 and is now club captain. The powerful Netherlands international, who combines a graceful reading of the game with a dominant physical skillset, has helped the Reds lift a host of the biggest trophies available to date. He played every single minute of the 2019-20 Premier League campaign as Liverpool gloriously and emphatically ended their wait for the title with a club-record 99 points.

A constantly imposing presence in the back line, Van Dijk also weighed in with five goals, including a vital double against Brighton & Hove Albion and the opener past Manchester United at Anfield. The historic season also saw the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup added to the trophy cabinet – the latter for the first time. The No.4 had previously been a key figure as the Reds clinched a sixth European Cup at the conclusion of his first full season with the club.

Victory over Tottenham Hotspur in Madrid secured the first piece of silverware at Liverpool for Van Dijk, who also missed just 35 minutes of Premier League action in 2018-19 as Jürgen Klopp's side finished second with 97 points. He was an outstanding presence at the heart of the defence as the Reds eliminated Bayern Munich – against whom he scored in a crucial second-leg win in Germany – as well as FC Porto and FC Barcelona on the road to a second successive Champions League final.