Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk should be crowned PFA Player of the Year this season, according to team-mate Andy Robertson.
The Dutch defender is the favourite with bookmakers for the accolade ahead of Manchester City trio Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling and David Silva and his team-mate Mohamed Salah, who picked up last year’s award.
Since the Professional Footballers’ Association brought in its awards in 1974 a defender has won the main prize only five times, with John Terry the last to do so 14 years ago.
But Van Dijk has been a key component in Liverpool’s title challenge, helping the Reds keep a league-leading 16 clean sheets this season as they sit a point clear at the top ahead of City.
“If the season ended tonight, I would give him it personally,” said Robertson after Van Dijk had scored two goals in Liverpool’s 5-0 defeat of Watford at Anfield on Wednesday night.
“There’s still 10 games to go and somebody can step up from another team but Virgil can take it to a whole new level, I reckon.
“The attacking players are usually in the running because they take all the goals and the headlines but this season Virgil has been fantastic and he’s getting all the plaudits that he deserves.
“He makes my life easier, that’s for sure. To have him next to me it makes everything so much easier.
“When somebody is running at you and you know Virgil is inside – he’s rarely out of position, if ever.
“For me, he’s the best centre-back just now in the world. That’s the way he’s playing and the confidence he’s got – and he’s still young enough that he can get even better.”