Virgil van Dijk Named 2018-19 Premier League Player of the Season

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk was named the EA Sports FIFA Player of the Season on Sunday. 

Van Dijk is the only defender to win the award in the past seven seasons.

The Netherlands international has started all 37 of Liverpool's Premier League matches this year, scoring four goals and serving as a defensive rock during the club's 20 clean sheets. He is the second consecutive Liverpool player to claim the award, after attacker Mohamed Salah did so last year.

And he held off strong challenges from Salah and Sadio Mane, Manchester City's Sergio Aguero, Bernardo Silva and Raheem Sterling and Chelsea's Eden Hazard to be the 2018-19 winner.

Van Dijk was also named the PFA Players' Player of the Year award winner in April.

The 27-year-old holds a 7.44 average match rating from WhoScored.com, top among defenders and fifth in the Premier League overall behind Hazard (7.84), Sterling (7.62), Salah (7.59) and Aguero (7.52).

In the process, he's helped lead Liverpool to the UEFA Champions League final—where they'll face league rivals Tottenham Hotspur—and within striking distance of a Premier League title ahead of the final day of the season on Sunday. Manchester City are atop the table with 95 points, though Liverpool are just one point behind them and could still steal the title if City fail to beat Brighton & Hove Albion.

Liverpool, meanwhile, face Wolverhampton Wanderers.

"Sunday is going to be a big test for us again, the last home game," Van Dijk told Glenn Price of Liverpool's website on Saturday. "We want to show what we've been doing all season and get the three points no matter what. Wolves have obviously been outstanding throughout the whole season—fantastic team, fantastic manager. It's going to be very hard."