The Liverpool defender’s outstanding form for club and country last season – which included Champions League glory, 97 points in the Premier League and a Nations League final appearance – saw him pip Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to the prize.
Van Dijk was announced as the recipient of the honour at the draw for the 2019-20 Champions League group stage, in Monaco on Thursday evening.
The winner was decided by a vote of the 80 coaches of the teams in the group stages of the Champions League and Europa League in 2018-19, plus one journalist from each of UEFA’s 55 member associations.
The Netherlands international had earlier picked up the Champions League Defender of the season accolade for his performances en route to the Reds clinching a sixth European Cup in Madrid.
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Alisson Becker was crowned UEFA Champions League Goalkeeper of the Season for 2018-19.
He played every minute of Liverpool’s route to glory and recorded six clean sheets in the process.
Alisson pulled off a brilliant injury-time save against Napoli to secure a spot in the last 16 and then made a number of crucial interventions to thwart Tottenham in the final.
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