Van Dijk beats Messi, Ronaldo to win UEFA Player of the Season award

Virgil van Dijk beat Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to claim the men’s UEFA Player of the Year award.

The winner was announced on Thursday night during the Champions League draw ceremony in Monaco.

The talismanic centre-back helped guide the Reds to European Cup glory, keeping a clean sheet as Jurgen Klopp’s men defeated Tottenham 2-0 in Madrid.

Messi, the top scorer in the Champions League, beat Liverpool’s Sadio Mane and long-term rival Cristiano Ronaldo to win the UEFA Champions League forward of the Season Award.

Virgil van Dijk beat team mate Trent Alexander-Arnold and Matthijs de Ligt, who left Ajax for Juventus this summer to win the Defender of the Season Award.

Alisson Becker, beat Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris and Barcelona’s Marc ter-Stegen Liverpool’s safe hands won the UEFA Goalkeeper Award.

Ajax’s Frenkie de Jong beat Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen and Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson to win the midfielder of the Season Award.

England’s full back, Lucy Bronze beat Norway’s Ada Hegerberg and France’s Amandine Henry to the Women’s Player of the Season.

Full list of winners:
Men’s Player of the Season: Virgil van Dijk
Women’s Player of the Season: Lucy Bronze
Midfielder of the Season: Frenkie de Jong Defender of the Season: Virgil van Dijk
Goalkeeper of the season: Alisson Becker
UEFA President Award: Eric Cantona