Latest Liverpool news: Virgil van Dijk follows Mohamed Salah as PFA Players’ Player of the Year

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk saw off competition from Raheem Sterling to land the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award.

The Dutchman has been excellent for the Reds and we have the best defence in the Premier League this season.

The former Southampton star has helped Liverpool to the semi-finals of the Champions League and we trail Manchester City by one point in the Premier League.

Mohamed Salah won the award last season after his record-breaking scoring exploits, and it was the first time in 35 years that the accolade has been won in consecutive seasons by Liverpool players (h/t Liverpool Echo).

Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish won in it 1983 and another great, Ian Rush, collected the award a year later.

A first for a defender since 2005

The Reds have 20 cleansheets in 36 Premier League games this season and that is partly down to Van Dijk.

The last defender to win the award was John Terry back in 2005. The Liverpool Echo adds that only six defenders have won the award since 1974.

The other players in the running for the award were Sadio Mane, Sergio Aguero, Bernardo Silva and Eden Hazard.

Van Dijk joined from Southampton last season and has easily been one of our best signings in the Premier League era.

There was more to celebrate for Liverpool on the night as three other Reds were a part of the Team of the Year.

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Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson and Mane were named in the PFA Team of the Year too.