''Outstanding'' Virgil Van Dijk deserves PFA award, says Jurgen Klopp

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Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said he would be disappointed if defender Virgil van Dijk missed out on the Professional Footballers` Association`s (PFA) Player of the Year award as he has had an "outstanding season".

Dutchman Van Dijk has transformed Liverpool`s defence since joining the club from Southampton in Jan. 2018, and has been key in the Merseyside club keeping 18 clean sheets in the league this season.

The 27-year-old has missed just 35 minutes of Premier League action all season as Liverpool edge closer to a first top division title in 29 years.

"Would I feel sad if Van Dijk doesn`t win Player of the Year? For him yes, of course," he told reporters.

"He`s had an outstanding season. Will he have deserved it? Of course. It was last season when (Manchester City`s) Kevin De Bruyne and (Liverpool`s) Mo Salah both played unbelievable seasons and Mo won it."

"We were happy about that and not because De Bruyne lost it, because he would have deserved it as well. I think it is the same again in this case."

Van Dijk is one of the six players in the running for the award alongside teammate Sadio Mane, Chelsea`s Eden Hazard and Manchester City trio Raheem Sterling, Sergio Aguero and Bernardo Silva.

The winners voted for by the PFA members, will be announced on April 28.