PFA Player of the Year – Virgil van Dijk or Raheem Sterling? Verdict of BBC experts

The list of six finalists for the annual player award of the Association of Professional Footballers will be unveiled on Football Focus at 12:15 BST on Saturday.

The vote is over, but who should be on the list and who will follow Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah by winning first prize?

It seems that there are only two contenders among our BBC football experts …

Twenty-one experts – Alan Shearer, Ian Wright, Alex Scott, Paul Ince, Phil Neville, Jermaine Jenas, Rachel Brown-Finnis, Stephen Warnock, Chris Sutton, Pat Nevin, Danny Mills, Mark Lawrenson, Martin Keown, Danny Murphy, Chris Waddle, Leon Osman, Sue Smith, Lescott Joleon, Mark Schwarzer, Matthew Upson and Kevin Kilbane chose their six outstanding artists from 2018-19.

Two votes: Abdoulaye Doucouré, Fernandinho, Harry Kane, Paul Pogba, Mohamed Salah

A vote: Willy Boly, David Brooks, Ederson, Ben Foster, Ryan Fraser, Raul Jimenez, Aymeric Laporte, Joao Moutinho, Ruben Neves and Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Twenty-three players from nine different clubs are part of their selection, but only Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk and Manchester City striker Raheem Sterling are chosen as winners.

Scroll down the list to see the verdict of the experts.

You can vote for your own choice from the list below, consisting of players who have received the most number of expert nominations, starting at 6:00 am BST on Friday.

Alan Shearer: Virgil van Dijk (Van Dijk 1-0 Sterling)

How on earth you can not get votes from players for this reward at the end of the season is really pathetic, really. Players should not vote more than a month before the end of the season.

The winning team is a determining factor for who should receive these individual distinctions, and we are still waiting to know.

The title race is between Liverpool and Manchester City and the player of the year is between Van Dijk and Sterling – one of these two winners will definitely win.

Here and now, I give it to Van Dijk, on the basis of which he turned Liverpool into a defense and gave him the backbone they need to travel the course of the title race.

Defensively, they have been much stronger than they have been in recent seasons. In goals, Alisson also improved, but Van Dijk made all the difference.

He has just been a rock for them – a real mountain man at the back with his organization, his presence and his reading of the game.

In games or situations where Liverpool has been under pressure, he's really distinguished himself because he has been very dominant – whatever the scenario and against whom he is fighting.

But if City wins a national hat-trick this season, one of his players should be the player of the year.

There are some candidates but Sterling gets my vote because it has been so important to them all season long.

He has become one of their most reliable and regular players. All the other players in the field seem to rest more than him, throughout the team of the City, which says a lot about its importance.

I was impressed by Sterling's character and by the way he handled difficult situations on and off the pitch, and he also continues to progress as a player.

His scoring record is an example of how he progressed. He enters more and more often in the good positions, and his finish never stops improving.

Ian Wright: Virgil van Dijk (Van Dijk 2-0 Sterling)

Like Al, I think this prize should be decided at the end of the season, when we know who won what.

I'm giving it to Van Dijk for now, but that would change if City won the title – Sterling would be my winner.

Alex Scott: Raheem Sterling (Van Dijk 2-1 Sterling)

The goals of Raheem and the intelligence of his achievements to achieve them have really stood out.

He continues to get better as a player – and what he does while talking about the racist abuse he has experienced this season in the Premier League and England's international duty shows how he has matured. like a person too.

I do not see him winning the title in general, but Liverpool left-back Andrew Robertson also deserves a mention, due to his regularity since his breakthrough in the team, and the contribution he brings to their attack and defense.

Paul Ince: Sterling Raheem (Van Dijk 2-2 Sterling)

It's been a few years that I find it strange that Sergio Aguero has never won this prize. He is one of the biggest attackers we have seen in the Premier League.

There are two other people in front of him this season, though. Van Dijk is a true leader and he navigates in games. It is a world clbad center.

But I will give it to Sterling, who has written a lot about it in the past. Not so long ago, England's supporters turned against him, and the opposition supporters also carried him a lot, but he did very well and spoke out very well.

To overcome all this and continue to play as it has been, it takes a lot of mental strength.

It's not just the goal he scored, it's his complete game. He became a winner of the match, but he became the main man of the city in many ways.

Some Wolves players impressed me – Raul Jimenez started scoring goals, Conor Coady was superb for someone who was naturally a central midfielder, spent last season in the backfield and plays now in the center-half.

Coady was very successful, but I'm going to include Willy Boly, who has been exceptional with him all season.

His Heung-min was again remarkable for Tottenham, but it is sometimes easy to choose the players who scored a lot of goals. Watford had a fantastic season and participated in the FA Cup final, and Abdoulaye Doucoure played a big part in their success.

Doucoure reminds me when I played against Patrick Vieira. It's a powerful, strong runner that also allows you to score goals. I can understand why the biggest clubs are interested in him and I think he could still improve himself as a player.

Philip Neville: Virgil van Dijk (Van Dijk 3-2 Sterling)

Jermaine Jenas: Sterling Raheem (Van Dijk 3-3 Sterling)

You can not deny what Van Dijk did for Liverpool because of his level of elevation, but I also think it's much harder to shine as an attacking player for City than for the Liverpool defender.

Virgil entered a struggling defensive unit, and as a good player. he was always going to improve it.

On the other hand, Raheem plays with some of the best offensive players in the world and he still stands out.

Moreover, if he is not number one on the team sheet, he is number two behind Sergio. He is becoming a leader, which makes him even more important for the team.

Rachel Brown-Finnis: Virgil van Dijk (Van Dijk 4-3 Sterling)

Van Dijk gave Liverpool the authority they had been lacking for a long time.

Behind him, Reds goaltender Alisson also improved them, but City goalkeeper Ederson dropped him from the six-man rankings in the future because of the way he launched his attacks. It's perfect for the way his side plays.

I want David Brooks from Bournemouth to be present because he's so exciting to watch. He has the flair, but is ready to go too. He is one of Sterling's main rivals for the young player's prize.

Stephen Warnock: Virgil van Dijk (Van Dijk 5-3 Sterling)

For Van Dijk, having a season where no one has dribbled in front of him is simply incredible.

I know this does not make you the best player in the Premier League, but it shows how good he is. It's an incredible statistic.

As good as Sterling was, I would actually have Bernardo Silva and Aguero in front of him because of their importance to City.

I also like some Wolves players but Raul Jimenez has been unreal. In the first half of the season, he positioned himself but did not finish the opportunities, but everything changed after Christmas.

Chris Sutton: Virgil van Dijk (Van Dijk 6-3 Sterling)

Liverpool not having the same firepower as last season, their influence on the title is largely due to the influence of Van Dijk.

Historically, when a player turns a team into a title contender, it's usually an attacker – like Eric Cantona at Manchester United for example.

Van Dijk had the same kind of impact, making Liverpool, statistically, the best defense in the Premier League.

I think few people realized how good he was when he was at Celtic. They do it now.

It may sound like I'm saying "I told you so," but he had all the attributes for his death and defense. He has undoubtedly evolved, but he has always been a defender of great quality and so graceful that it is enjoyable to watch.

Pat Nevin: Virgil van Dijk (Van Dijk 7-3 Sterling)

Van Dijk did everything I thought he would do five years ago when he was at Celtic. I spoke to a lot of people about it and I was really surprised to see that none of the big six clubs had taken it before Southampton in 2015 because it was so obvious that he was just a Rolls Royce.

His sense of position is simply great: he has an incredible pace that he rarely needs to use and he is always in the right place for the centers.

He was brilliant but I think he will be better next season. He can score free kicks and get more goals with his head.

Danny Mills: Sterling Raheem (Van Dijk 7-4 Sterling)

Now, when Sterling qualifies, we feel he'll score more often than not, and it was not the same last season.

It's great to see him also talking about serious issues like racist abuse. He grew up and, with his performances in England, I just think he's been brilliant.

Paul Pogba has had a weird season in many ways and has been the subject of much criticism, but I still think he's done very well.

Under José Mourinho and now Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, he scored goals and made badists. It did not seem that he was hearing with Mourinho, but he was still playing and when Solskjaer took office, he looked even better.

Mark Lawrenson: Virgil van Dijk (Van Dijk 8-4 Sterling)

It's no wonder the two best teams have a head start on all counts, as they have also had some outstanding players.

We know the abilities and leadership of Van Dijk, but what is most impressive is that he played with several central backers this season: Dejan Lovren, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and even Fabinho.

Did this affect the team? No, because everything revolves around him. Honestly, it's so good, it's at that moment when John Terry and Tony Adams were at their peak – where you can play with anyone with them and it makes no difference.

Martin Keown: Virgil van Dijk (Van Dijk 9-4 Sterling)

I just think it's time for people to remember how important defense is, and it's Van Dijk who is the best advocate.

He's just in clbad, is not he? He purrs around the field, in possession or on the outside, he is a mountain in the air and has taken responsibility, at this stage of his career, to try to lead Liverpool to the title.

That's because he wants to be a winner. I'm just glad he did not go to City because he could have gone there and we would not have had a brilliant title run like this one when he was there. made.

Danny Murphy: Virgil van Dijk (Van Dijk 10-4 Sterling)

Salah had one more goal than Mane this season, but I think Mane was better than him.

I think it's good to recognize players who are not in the top six, and myself a former midfielder, I'm a big fan of Joao Moutinho. The wolves have had a good season and it is nice to see an older guy come to the Premier League at age 32 with his kind of hunger and fulfillment as he did.

Van Dijk and Sterling have both been excellent, but Van Dijk has had more influence on the players who surround him, as the whole Liverpool team is better when he is on the spot, whereas you could say that other attacking City players would still be performing well. Sterling plays or not.

Chris Waddle: Virgil van Dijk (Van Dijk 11-4 Sterling)

His Heung-min was a revelation. He has been absent twice on an international badignment this season, but he has always been committed to helping the Spurs face Harry Kane and Dele Alli and have been their star player.

His goals matched his goals, but he also had a significant impact on important games, including Manchester City's Tottenham Champions League quarter-final victory.

His energy is excellent, his movement is superb and, technically, he is very strong. In summary, he is an excellent team player who can score and create.

At City, I like Bernardo Silva's left foot – like Son, he influenced City play a lot – and Sadio Mane added a real touch to the left side of the attack. from Liverpool.

Mane touches people, can cross one or the other goal and now scores more goals. In the past, he had the impression not to score or create enough, but he has all concocted this season.

I usually like to see creative players win these awards, but just recognize how good Van Dijk was. I will be shocked if he does not win.

Leon Osman: Sterling Raheem (Van Dijk 11-5 Sterling)

Kevin de Bruyne's injuries meant that City had missed his most influential player last season for most of this term, without losing a beat.

They clashed until mid-April for an unprecedented four-fold, largely attributable to Sterling. I was wondering who, if any, would take over and no one would have done more than this man.

If City managed to win a national hat-trick, it would be obvious as a player of the year, but if Liverpool put them in the Premier League and the Champions League, then Van Dijk would win.

Sue Smith: Sterling Raheem (Van Dijk 11-6 Sterling)

If I could have Van Dijk and Sterling at the top, I would say – both were exceptional and mbadively helped their clubs to meet where they are today.

I will go for Sterling, however, because its goals and creativity have been vital to City.

Joleon Lescott: Sterling Raheem (Van Dijk 11-7 Sterling)

What people forget about Raheem, is that he was at the World Cup with England and did not really spend the summer. Then he came back and played in the first City game of the season, while the other players were resting.

One has the impression that everyone is left away from City at one point, but in every important game he plays.

Mark Schwarzer: Virgil van Dijk (Van Dijk 12-7 Sterling)

As a goalkeeper, I would have loved that Van Dijk plays in front of me. He's great on the ball, but he plays the game so well and does not look at the ball.

All the players I have chosen have a great influence on their team, but especially Eden Hazard for Chelsea.

It will obviously be a huge loss if he leaves during the summer, and I would be very surprised if he ends up staying.

The danger is 28 now and he's going to leave, that's the moment. When he joined Real Madrid, he handled the situation very well, as his performances this season will mean that no Chelsea fan will want him any more.

Of course, they would be disappointed to see him go, but they will surely understand why he wants to join a club like Real.

Many players thinking of a summer move would have calmed down, but not Eden, he put a change of position in this season, which will earn him the respect of Blues fans.

Matthew Upson: Virgil van Dijk (Van Dijk 13-7 Sterling)

The quality of Van Dijk's game does not seem to matter, his stature and composure always seem to improve the Liverpool team.

He has a physique in his game, but it is this body language and presence that gives him his star quality.

Kevin Kilbane: Virgil van Dijk (Van Dijk 14-7 Sterling)

Salah escaped with the player title of the year last year and I do not think he had a bad season just because he did not have a bad season. did not equal that goal total this time.

It borders Mane for me because although Mane had a great time at the beginning of the year, Salah has contributed throughout the season.

Van Dijk remains however the most important player of Liverpool. Remove it from their side and they would not be in the position they are in. I make him the most influential player in the Premier League this season, and he is so consistent that he gets at least 8/10 every week.

And the winner is …. Virgil van Dijk