Liverpol news: Virgil van Dijk admits he would swap Player of the Year award for Premier League title glory

Jurgen Klopp’s side narrowly missed out on winning the Premier League title

Virgil van Dijk has admitted that he would swap his PFA Player of the Year award for a Premier League winners’ medal with Liverpool.

Jurgen Klopp’s side narrowly missed out on winning the Premier League title this season, finishing one point behind defending champions Manchester City.

Liverpool briefly led City on the final day, having gone ahead against Wolverhampton Wanderers and seen Pep Guardiola’s side fall behind at Brighton.

The club’s wait for a domestic league title will stretch into its 30th year, however, with City 4-1 winners at the Amex.

Van Dijk was last month voted by his peers as the outstanding player of the campaign, but he would trade any individual honour to change the league table.

“It’s a big honour, a huge honour, but I would swap it immediately for the Premier League title,” Van Dijk said.

“To get recognition for what I have done this season is always good, especially as defender, but it is all down to everyone around me, and without everyone else who has been working with me, playing with me it wouldn’t be possible.

“Even the team behind the team. Melwood the people who work there, the people around us are so important.”

Liverpool finished just one point behind champions Manchester City (EPA)

Liverpool’s cause was not helped by confusion at Anfield over whether Brighton were leading against City or not.

Shortly before Glenn Murray opened the scoring at the Amex, cheers went around Anfield for a Brighton goal that had not yet been scored.“It wasn’t easy to keep concentration, no not at all,” Van Dijk said. “But you have to be honest with yourself, if it doesn’t do something to you then you are lying to yourself.

“When Brighton scored the fans were going crazy and of course you think to yourself: ‘What is going on?’ You can’t help that.”

Klopp salutes the Liverpool fans (Getty)

Liverpool noticeably dropped off after the confusion over Brighton’s goal, but Van Dijk said that City storming into a three-goal lead did not affect him and his team-mates.

“I didn’t even notice the moments when City scored,” he said. “It was impossible not to know when Brighton scored - at half time we knew the score, but the second half I had no idea what was happening down there.

“We did what we had to do, tough game, tough opponents in Wolves. They had an outstanding season and made it very difficult for us. They had a few good chances.

“But we did the job, the season ends with a win and 97 points and a lot of things to take into next season. We have to be very proud of that.”