Jurgen Klopp unveils two Liverpool players who should compete with Virgil van Dijk as a player of the year

Jurgen Klopp think Liverpool has three contenders for the PFA Player of the Year award.

Virgil van Dijk is the favorite favorite to win the coveted distinction in front of Manchester City duo Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero.

If the Dutch defender follows in the footsteps of Mohamed Salah, it will be the first time that Liverpool has won two consecutive victories since Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush in the 1980s.

Klopp insists that Sadio Mane and Salah, who have each scored 20 goals in all competitions up to now, are also in the running.

"Virgil is a fantastic player, but we can not have the points we have without a lot of very good players," Klopp said.

"If you take the last 10 weeks, and not only that, I would say that Sadio Mane is probably also in the running. If you take the previous 10 weeks, Mo Salah is back in the running.

"In the end, a very good player will win this competition. If it was a Liverpool player for the second time in a row, it would be very important too because it's another sign that things are going in the right direction. "

Van Dijk has been a revelation to Anfield since his £ 75m transfer to Southampton in January 2018. He has expertly crafted a backline that has only revealed 18 league goals in 31 games this season.

A host of big clubs – including Manchester City – wanted Van Dijk's signature, but Klopp promised to join a team ready to compete for the top prizes, playing a central role.

His confidence is at the rendezvous with the Reds leading the Premier League standings and in the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Klopp sees Van Dijk's signature as a "mbadive statement" in terms of supervised progress.

"I told him what we wanted to do over the next two years and what was the plan, who we have, who we plan to bring and what we want to improve. All that stuff, "recalls Klopp.

"Of course, he listened and thought it sounded exciting. I was not surprised when the decision was made, but I was not sure before because I knew who else was in the race for him.

"It was a great moment for him and for us too. It was a mbadive statement, it's true. At that time, he was the most sought-after half-center, perhaps with Laporte and Koulibaly as well, but in England, it was certain Virgil.

"These things are so important to us, so important, but it's not just him. I said about the same things to Gini Wijnaldum. Not that I always say the same things, but it was the project we talked about and what we wanted to achieve in the future.

"I tend to tell the truth 100%. Sometimes this leads to a strange situation where the player thinks "okay, it's not for me" but if a player has to fight for his position or not that much, I say that when the first meeting.

"Then they are not surprised when they enter. Everything is clear from the beginning. When Virgil made his decision, it was a fantastic day. "