We’re approaching that time of the year when candidates for Player of the Season start being mentioned, and with Liverpool currently top of the Premier League, a few Reds are bound to be in the discussion.
On ESPN FC, Steve Nicol and Shaka Hislop were asked who’d they select for the award if the campaign were to finish now, and they both went for the same member of Jurgen Klopp’s squad.
The ex-Newcastle goalkeeper was first to answer, naming Virgil van Dijk as his pick (along with the German as manager of the season), and his fellow pundit was in full agreement with both selections.
One error against Arsenal aside, the Liverpool defender has indeed been back to his imperious best in 2023/24, being inspired by his elevation to the captaincy last summer to deliver a campaign which stands on a par with his first two-and-a-half yeas at Anfield.
The 32-year-old’s average of 4.5 successful duels in the Premier League is the third-highest of any player (WhoScored), while he also came up with the match-winning moment in last Sunday’s Carabao Cup final for his fourth goal of the season (Transfermarkt).
Van Dijk would 100% be a worthy PFA Player of the Year if he maintains his performance levels into the final third of what still could be a quadruple-winning campaign for the Reds.
You can view Nicol and Hislop making their selections below (from 8:41), via ESPN FC on YouTube: