Why was Van Dijk overlooked?

BBC News

20-06-2025

When the shortlist for the PFA Players' Player of the Year was announced, one name was conspicuously absent - Virgil van Dijk.The Liverpool captain was a cornerstone of the Reds' resurgence in 2024-25 - and to highlight just how impactful he's been, he's compared here with the likes of William Saliba, Nikola Milenkovic, and Gabriel, who are widely regarded as some of the Premier League's top-performing centre-backs. This context underscores the level Van Dijk has operated at throughout the campaign.Yet despite matching or outperforming them in several key defensive metrics, the Liverpool captain was surprisingly left off the shortlist for the PFA Players' Player of the Year.So, what do the advanced numbers say about the Dutchman?
Van Dijk's dominance in the air remains unmatched. According to Opta, he comfortably leads his elite peers in aerial duels won on a per game basis. In a league where physicality and aerial strength are vital, especially for a central defender, his superiority in this area sets him apart.Interceptions may not make headlines, but they reflect a defender's ability to read the game - a skill Van Dijk has in abundance. He is level with or ahead of Saliba, Milenkovic and Gabriel in this department, showcasing his tactical intelligence in Liverpool's high-risk, high-line defensive system.In ground duels, Van Dijk remains highly competitive, just ahead of the others in total duels won, but not by much. More impressively, he has committed the fewest fouls of the group, highlighting his clean, calculated defending. It is a rare combination of aggression and composure that few defenders manage to balance so effectively.While individual awards are never the full measure of a player's impact, the numbers speak loudly: Van Dijk remains one of the Premier League's elite defenders and is perhaps the most unfortunate omission from this year's honours list.