Manchester City star Raheem Sterling was quick to offer his congratulations after Liverpool rival Virgil van Dijk picked up UEFA's Men's Player of the Year award on Thursday.
Dutch defender Van Dijk pipped both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to the award, having already been named as the best defender in European competition last season.
Van Dijk was honoured for his crucial role in helping Liverpool win the Champions League in the 2018/19 season, with his Reds teammate Alisson Becker also picking up the Goalkeeper of the Year title.
After picking up the trophy, he said:
“I need to thank my teammates, without them I would not have achieved what I have achieved.
"It’s been a long road and it’s part of my journey. I’m very proud to get this trophy. It’s credit to everyone who has helped me.
"I wasn't 18 and went straight to the top. I had to work every step of the way.
"I looked up to Ronaldinho a lot growing up. He enjoyed his play with all his tricks, it was a great feeling to watch him play.”
And when he checked his social media accounts then he'd have seen a "Congrats" tweet from Sterling, who came 10th in the overall vote which was conducted by coaches from all 32 Champions League and 48 Europa League group stage qualifiers last season, as well as 55 journalists from around UEFA's associations.
The awards took place during the draw for this season's Champions League group stages, in which holders Liverpool have been paired with Napoli, Salzburg and Genk.
Manchester City - who are seeking to win the Champions League for the first time - will face Shakhtar Donetsk, Dinamo Zagreb and Atalanta.
