Virgil van Dijk Says Ballon d'Or 'Not on My Mind at All' After PFA Award Win

Virgil van Dijk has dismissed talk that he could win the Ballon d'Or this year following his coronation as the PFA Player of the Year on Sunday. 

The Dutchman was widely expected to claim the PFA gong after a fantastic season with Liverpool, and he duly became the first defender to win the award since John Terry in 2005:

When asked whether he now had his sights set on winning the Ballon d'Or, arguably football's most prestigious individual award, Van Dijk said, per the Press Association's Ed Elliott (h/t MailOnline):

"Nah, that's not something that's on my mind at all."

Liverpool's final games of the season are arguably all must-win.

They go to the Camp Nou on Wednesday for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-finals against Barcelona, with the return match at Anfield six days later.

Meanwhile, the Reds will likely need six points from their final two Premier League games against Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers if they are to have a chance of breaking their 29-year title duck:

The signing of Van Dijk for £75 million from Southampton last January has been the key addition Jurgen Klopp's squad needed to become title challengers once again.

They have long been a swashbuckling attacking side. But now, with Van Dijk, 27, marshalling the defence, they are also solid at the back.

In 2018-19, Liverpool have conceded less than 0.6 goals per game in the Premier League. Over the previous eight seasons, that average was nearly 1.2.

His huge impact on the transformation of Liverpool this season from also-rans to title contenders is what, for many, gave him the edge over Raheem Sterling in the PFA vote:

And it should earn him a number of votes when it comes to the Ballon d'Or later this year.

Per Elliott (h/t MailOnline), Van Dijk has insisted, though, that he is looking no further than the upcoming matches that Liverpool face:

"There are currently players walking around in this football world that are out of this world basically and they've been doing it for many years. I'm very happy how I perform at the moment, how consistent I'm performing, that I'm fit as well. I think I just need to not look too far ahead.

"Right now we're in a tight title race, in the Champions League semi-finals against a fantastic team, where probably the best players are playing so we just take it game by game. For us now it's time to focus on Barcelona midweek and then we have a big game at Newcastle away as well so I won't look too far ahead and the only goals I will set are personal goals with Liverpool."