Liverpool defender Virgil Van Dijk had a brilliant 2019 where he firmly established himself as the best defender in world football. When Jurgen Klopp snapped up the Dutchman from Southampton, many raised eyebrows about the fees involved in the transfer. But Virgil Van Dijk through his commanding shows on the pitch proved his detractors wrong. It is due to his leadership qualities at the back for the Reds that they have a handsome lead in the English Premier League title race and look set to go all the way in Europe once again. So we take a look back at Virgil Van Dijk’s top moments of 2019. Year Ender 2019 Lionel Messi Special: From Ballon d'Or to FIFA Best Player Award, A look at Top Six Moments of Barcelona Captain This Year

UEFA Men’s Player of the Year

Virgil Van Dijk defeated the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to win the 2019 UEFA Men’s Player of the Year. It was a staggering achievement considering the duo of Ronaldo and Messi had made it a ritual to win this top accolade year after year. With 305 points, the Netherlands defender was the clear winner in the category.

UEFA Champions League Win

Liverpool won its sixth European title and it would not have been possible without the efforts of Virgil Van Dijk. The Dutchman memorable performance in the semi-final second leg against Barcelona and the final versus Tottenham Hotspur were particularly memorable. Year Ender 2019: Lionel Messi Starts and Ends Decade As 'The Best'.

UEFA Nations League Final

Virgil Van Dijk is the captain of the Netherlands football team and it was under his leadership that the team made it to the finals of the UEFA Nations League. The Dutch had been down and out in international football for quite some time and their improvement led to fan praising Van Dijk for his leadership qualities.

A defender amongst the world’s best – The year 2019 finally saw a defender in Virgil Van Dijk rub shoulders with the likes of Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as the world’s best footballer. The last time a defender made so much name for himself at the European circuit was Fabio Cannavaro back in 2006.

Impeccable Stats

Out of 276 one-on-one situations, Virgil Van Dijk came out on top of 77 % of them as per data compiled by Opta on December 1, 2019. His presence has led to Liverpool on a 34 game unbeaten run in English top-flight football with their last defeat coming on January 3, 2019, against Manchester City. Most Goals for a Single Club: Lionel Messi Likely to Break Pele’s Record in 2020.

These highlights showcase Virgin Van Dijk is the Numero Uno when it comes to the best defenders in the world list and there is none at the same level as him right now.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 23, 2019 04:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).