Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk beat Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi and Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo to wins Men’s Player of the Year after helping Jurgen Klopp side to clinch their sixth the Champions League.

The Netherland international becomes the first Liverpool player to win the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award after club legend Steven Gerrard in 2005 after the Reds coming behind to defeat AC Milan.Van Dijk He said: “First of all, I need to thank all my team-mates. Without all of them, I wouldn’t have achieved what I have done over the past year.”It has been a long road but it’s part of my journey and who I am. I am not a player who is 18 years old and had that path straight away. I had to work hard and I am very proud of that. It’s all credit to everyone who has helped me along the way. “I

looked up as a young player to Ronaldinho because he had so much joy when playing, it was such a great feeling to watch him play.”But I think all the people who have helped me along the way, it has been a pleasure.’Van Dijk’s Liverpool colleague Alisson Becker won the UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year award, and his Dutch international teammate Frenkie De Jong was named as the Midfielder of the Year.