Liverpool's rock at the back, Vigil van Dijk has responded to being made favourite for the World Player of the Year award, known as the Ballon d'Or.
The 28-year-old had a sensational season last year, playing an integral part of the Reds' Premier League title and Champions League title challenges.
Liverpool were unlucky to miss out on a Premier League title last season, missing out by a single point, but won their sixth Champions League crown with a 2-0 victory over Spurs.
van Dijk scooped the PFA Players' Player of the Year award for his stellar performances in the league and is now favourite to grab the Ballon d'Or this summer.
In an interview with Liverpool TV the Dutch international was humbled by the talk of him winning the coveted Ballon d'Or, but concedes he has no control over it.
"It's an honour if people are talking about it, but what can I do? I have no influence on anything.
"The people that have an influence on it, they have to decide who's going to win it.
"I can't deny that I've had a pretty good season last year, so the only thing I can do now is just focus on the new season, getting fit, stay fit and hopefully get an even better season than I had last year."
Defenders have rarely won the award and if he is chosen, van Dijk would be the first defender in 13 years, Fabio Cannavaro was the last defender to receive it in 2006, to win the award.
In the same interview van Dijk said: "I can understand the fact that normally strikers or No.10s win these kind of awards because it's more attractive to see. But maybe the time has come to change it."
