Virgil van Dijk has been named in the PFA team of the year for 2024 and is the only Liverpool player to make the cut.

The Dutchman is amongst an array of Manchester City and Arsenal stars and joins Ollie Watkins as the only two players to have made it into the team from teams outside of last season’s top two.

PFA Team of the Year 2024: David Raya, Kyle Walker, Virgil van Dijk, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Declan Rice, Rodri, Martin Odegaard, Phil Foden, Ollie Watkins and Erling Haaland.

Van Dijk again was a talismanic figure at the heart of Liverpool’s defence in Jurgen Klopp’s final year at the helm. The value of the Dutchman’s leadership was shown in abundance when his glancing header in the dying embers of the Carabao Cup sent the travelling Kop into scenes of jubilation at Wembley as an injury stricken Liverpool side sunk Chelsea.

Champions League competition returned to Anfield last season when the centre back guided Liverpool to a third-place finish. During the previous season, he made 36 Premier League games for the Reds and scored two goals.

The defender, who moved to Liverpool in 2018 for a then-record £75 million, was inducted into his fourth PFA team of the year, highlighting the phenomenal rise of the Dutchman in Merseyside. Van Dijk will be trying to lead his club to more significant trophies this season after taking over as captain of Liverpool last summer from Jordan Henderson. He has already raised the trophy one time.

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