Virgil van Dijk is set to be named the PFA Player of the Year after pipping Raheem Sterling to the prize.
The Liverpool defender’s impressive performances for the Reds this term have secured him a majority of his fellow professionals’ votes and he will be confirmed as the winner.
Shortlisted alongside Sadio Mane, Bernardo Silva, Eden Hazard and Sergio Aguero, Van Dijk and Sterling were the clear favourites for this year’s gong.
Van Dijk has helped turn Liverpool into Premier League title contenders, Jurgen Klopp’s team boasting the best defensive record in the division this year.
Sterling, meanwhile, has continued his transformation into one of Europe’s most prolific wingers, netting 23 goals in 46 appearances.
But it is Van Dijk who has clinched the honour, the Dutchman succeeding Anfield teammate Mohamed Salah as Player of the Year.
Despite having been regularly mentioned as a contender for individual awards this year, Van Dijk recently insisted that his main aim is to help end Liverpool’s trophy drought, with Premier League and Champions League success still a possibility.
He told FourFourTwo: “I want to focus on achieving something special, which this club hasn’t done for 29 years, and if either myself or any other players are involved in picking up individual awards, that’s great.”
