The Reds centre-half pushed Lionel Messi in the 2019 vote, but an iconic countryman believes prestigious prizes will always be handed to forwards
Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk is never going to win the Ballon d’Or despite pushing Lionel Messi close in 2019, says Ruud Gullit, with the Dutch great expecting defenders to be overlooked in future votes.
A stunning 12 months for a Netherlands international centre-half pushed him into contention for the most prestigious of individual prizes.
Van Dijk did scoop the UEFA Player of the Year award, but was edged out by Barcelona talisman Messi when it came to the FIFA Best gong and iconic Golden Ball.