Virgil van Dijk's Man of the Match performance in Liverpool's Champions League final win over Spurs will have done no harm to his Ballon d'Or chances but the man himself isn't getting carried away.
The former Celtic man deservedly scooped the PFA Player of the Year after a series of imperious defensive displays for the Reds in the Premier League and last night he got his hands on the richest prize in club football.
In the 2-0 win over Spurs, Van Dijk was as solid as ever and was named as Man of the Match by UEFA's technical observers.
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Incredibly, he's now gone the whole season without being dribbled past in all competitions.
Thomas Schaaf, leader of the UEFA Technical Observers in Madrid, said: "Van Dijk showed outstanding leadership and was Liverpool's best defender. He made crucial interventions when needed and played with a cool head throughout."
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Van Dijk is now well in with a shout of becoming the first defender since Fabio Cannavaro to win the Ballon d'Or but he firmly believes that Lionel Messi is deserving of winning the award for the sixth time.
Though Van Dijk got his hands on the trophy and plenty of Liverpool fans reckon he should win the Ballon d'Or, if someone scores 51 goals and lays on 16 assists then it's difficult to argue a case against why they shouldn't win.
Reflecting on Liverpool's sixth European Cup triumph last night, Van Dijk said: "In the second half we were sitting back a bit and they put pressure on us, but overall I think we're deserved Champions League winners.
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"[Klopp] is a fantastic manager and a fantastic human being. It's an amazing environment to be in and I'm really proud to play for this beautiful club.
"We're all ambitious and we all want to have these kinds of nights so let's go for it - work hard and stay humble. I expect a lot from the party today and tomorrow!"
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Liverpool, Football News, Celtic, Football, Messi, Lionel Messi, Ballon d'Or, Virgil Van Dijk, Champions League
