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Liverpool Legend Believes 'Player Of The Year' Can Be Won By Just Two Names

Liverpool Legend Believes 'Player Of The Year' Can Be Won By Just Two Names

The former Liverpool defender reckons only two players are worthy of the award this season, and neither is a forward.

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

The end of the season awards will soon be on everyone's minds and Phil Thompson reckons only two players are worthy of winning this season and for once it's not a striker.

There's a lot of football to go before the end of the season, especially as for once there's genuinely a proper title race going on at the top of the Premier League with Manchester City, Liverpool and possibly even Spurs still in with a proper chance of winning the league.

But we're nearly in March and so it's definitely nearing the backend of the season, when it'll be time to really think about what's happened in the last nine month.

Players will soon start voting on their player of the year, because voting seems to always open ludicrously early for awards that will be given out before the season even ends.

Recently people started discussing that Spurs' Son Heung-min as a possible candidate for the award, and with Spurs flying so high thanks mainly to him it's easy to see why.

However former Liverpool player turned Sky Sports pundit Phil Thompson believes the top prize should go to Virgil van Dijk and only Fernandinho is valid competition. Writing in the Times Thompson said:

"Nobody has been like Virgil this season and people are talking about him as player of the year.

"It would be great if a defender won that award because it would be some statement.

"He has rated as a 9/10 each week and, for me, the only one who can come near him for the accolade is Fernandinho at Manchester City."

Van Dijk's been very good this season. Image: PA Images
Van Dijk's been very good this season. Image: PA Images

Van Dijk joined the Reds in January 2018 for a world record fee for a defender and he's been brilliant for Jurgen Klopp's side ever since.

The Anfield club have changed to a more defensive side this season and it has benefitted them compared to last season's gung-ho approach.

Thompson thinks only two men are worthy of the award. Image: PA Images
Thompson thinks only two men are worthy of the award. Image: PA Images

Fernandinho's worth was proved during Manchester City's bad spell earlier in the season when they dropped points against Crystal Palace and Leicester City in quick succession without the Brazilian in the team.

The midfielder is the one player that Pep Guardiola doesn't have a good back up for and it shows when he is missing.

Who do you think should win the award?

Featured Image Credit:

Topics: Manchester City, Liverpool, Player Of The Year, Football News, English Football, Premier League, Virgil Van Dijk, Fernandinho, Champions League