Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk reached the UEFA Nations League finals with Holland recently.
Jamie Carragher and Jamie Redknapp were in agreement that Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk will find it difficult winning the Ballon d’Or ahead of the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristian Ronaldo.
The Reds ace led his club to the Champions League trophy this month and a second-placed finish during the recently concluded Premier League campaign.
Van Dijk is regarded as the best centre-back in the world, at this moment in time, which increases his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or this season.
But speaking to Sky Sports Football (10/06/2019 at 10:05 pm), Carragher and Redknapp think the Dutchman will find it difficult to win the most prestigious individual prize in world football as he needs to ‘win big things’.
On whether Van Dijk can be a Ballon d’Or winner: “I saw he was ahead of Messi in the betting,” Carragher told Sky Sports. “I’ll be thinking Messi, to be honest. Very rarely you see a centre-back get that. Did Cannavaro get it on the back of winning a World Cup in 2006?
“Listen, he’s been the best player in the Premier League – I think you have to win big things. I think that Champions League, winning that, you put that stamp on being the world’s best [defender]. We always spoke about Pique and Ramos, not necessarily that they were performing better than Van Dijk this season, but they have the medals. Not just for their club, but their country also. But Ballon d’Or? I think Messi.
Redknapp added: “It wouldn’t surprise me one bit [if Van Dijk won the Ballon d’Or]. Personally, the Messi’s and Ronaldo’s, they do something so different. That’s the most difficult thing to do is score a goal. He has elevated Liverpool to another level.”
Van Dijk recently helped Holland to the UEFA Nations League finals, where they beat England en-route to the finals before losing to Ronaldo’s Portugal.
The former Southampton man, who earns £180k-a-week at Anfield [Spotrac], moved to Merseyside during the January transfer window of 2018 and he has been a breath of fresh air ever since his move.
The ultimate goals for Van Dijk will be to win an international trophy with his home country and winning the Premier League title with Liverpool.
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