Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk has beaten other candidates to receive the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Player of the Year award.

Virgil van Dijk is the first defender to win the award since Chelsea centre-back John Terry was honoured in 2005.

This is a worthy reward for the Dutch star, after he has made great contributions to Liverpool this season.

The centre-back has been named in the annual PFA Premier League Team of the Year for the fourth time since joining Liverpool in January 2018, a selection made by the country’s professional players. Van Dijk was previously honored in 2019, 2020, and 2022.

During the last season, Van Dijk, the Netherlands captain, played 36 league matches and scored two goals, contributing to Liverpool’s third-place finish in the Premier League and their qualification for the Champions League.

Additionally, in his inaugural season as Liverpool’s captain, he scored the decisive goal in extra time to secure a 1-0 win over Chelsea at Wembley, clinching the Carabao Cup in February.

His inclusion in the latest Team of the Year was revealed at the 2024 PFA Awards ceremony held in Manchester this evening.