---
title: "Liverpool: Fans hail Virgil van Dijk after being named UEFA Men’s Player of the Year"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/liverpool-fans-hail-virgil-van-dijk-after-being-named-uefa-mens-player-of-the-year/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Liam Togher"
section: "Liverpool Football Club"
published: "2019-08-30T18:45:01Z"
modified: "2019-08-30T18:45:01Z"
---

# Liverpool: Fans hail Virgil van Dijk after being named UEFA Men’s Player of the Year

**Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk was yesterday named as UEFA Men’s Player of the Year for 2018/19 following the draw for this season’s Champions League group stage in Monaco. \[[via UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/newsid=2618573.html?iv=true)\]**

[Liverpool-focused sports writer](https://punditarena.com/author/doconnell/) Dave O’Connell tweeted about the announcement ([via @DaveOCKOP](https://twitter.com/DaveOCKOP/status/1167124370768220164)) shortly afterwards, albeit with a slight misquoting of the award’s official title.

> BREAKING: Virgil Van Dijk named Champions League player of the year. Incredible
>
> — DaveOCKOP (@DaveOCKOP) [August 29, 2019](https://twitter.com/DaveOCKOP/status/1167124370768220164?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

Van Dijk beat fellow nominees Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to win the award in recognition of his contribution to Liverpool’s Champions League triumph last season, having been named as UEFA’s man of the match in the final against Tottenham. \[[via UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/newsid=2618573.html?iv=true)\]

The 28-year-old defender played in 12 of the Reds’ 13 games on their European run and scored in the away wins over Bayern Munich and Porto in the knockout rounds, as well as providing two assists in the competition. \[[via TransferMarkt.co.uk](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/virgil-van-dijk/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/139208/plus/0/saison/2018/wettbewerb/CL/verein/31)\]

The UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award was voted upon by managers of the 80 clubs who competed in the Champions League or Europa League group stage in 2018/19, along with a journalist from each of UEFA’s 55 member nations. \[[via UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/newsid=2618573.html?iv=true)\]

Van Dijk is also the reigning [PFA Player of the Year](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48065752) and picked up the [2018/19 UEFA Defender of the Season award](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/newsid=2618579.html?iv=true) as well in Monaco yesterday.

These Liverpool fans on Twitter felt that the [Netherlands international](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/virgil-van-dijk/profil/spieler/139208) was a deserving recipient of the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year accolade:

https://twitter.com/KeithChapo/status/1167124437579304960

> So deserved!!!
>
> — Anna (@LFCAnna) [August 29, 2019](https://twitter.com/LFCAnna/status/1167124665137008641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

https://twitter.com/lronVan/status/1167124714126397441

> Absolutely and thoroughly deserved.
>
> — VorsprungdurchJürgen (@happydobbin44) [August 29, 2019](https://twitter.com/happydobbin44/status/1167126200743018501?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> So happy
>
> — Chuks (@ChuksMultiP) [August 29, 2019](https://twitter.com/ChuksMultiP/status/1167130535459733505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> Massive
>
> — Della Strauss (@DellaDek) [August 29, 2019](https://twitter.com/DellaDek/status/1167145572295467009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

https://twitter.com/Cunny\_lad/status/1167158775079419909

***Do you think Van Dijk was a worthy winner of the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year? Can he go on to win the Ballon d’Or this year? Share your views in the comments section below!***