Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk has released an emotional tribute after narrowly missing out on the Ballon d'Or trophy to Lionel Messi .
The Dutch defender came second in the ranking, losing out to the Barcelona star who collected a historic sixth Ballon d'Or title.
Despite winning the Champions League, reaching the Nations League final with the Netherlands and being an integral part of the team that finished the Premier League season with 97 points, it was not enough to see Van Dijk take home the main prize.
Van Dijk though has put aside his disappointment to release a big thank you to those who have supported him, paying tribute to his family, Liverpool and the football community.
"It was a great privilege to attend the 2019 Ballon d'Or last night," he wrote on Twitter.
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"I was humbled by the warm reception that I received in Paris and I'd like to say thank you to everyone that made us feel so welcome.
"Firstly I'd like to congratulate Lionel Messi on winning your historic sixth Ballon d'Or.
"As I also said last night at the ceremony, it's important to sit back and admire greatness when it's in front of you. Congratulations on another incredible year.
"On a personal level it was an honour to be nominated and I am extremely proud to have some second and in the same company as two of greatest players to ever play the game in Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
"We've enjoyed some good battles this year and I hope there will be many more to come. I am proud of my journey and I hope that my route in the game can help inspire others to always believe in yourself and to never give up on your dream.
"I am hungry for more success on the pitch and will be working as hard as I can to keep improving to strive to be the best that I can be.
"It's been an incredible 2019 so far but none of this would be possible without the love and supporter of my family, thank you for always being there.
"I must also say a huge thank you again to all my teammates at Liverpool and the national team. Finally, thank you to everyone in the football world for all your messages of support, it means a lot to me and my family."
