Ramos Backs Van Dijk To Win Ballon d’Or Award

In a scintillating spell with Liverpool last term, Van Dijk guided the side to a Champions League glory as they defeated Tottenham Hotspurs 2-0 at the Wanda Metropolitano which won him the Champions League and PFA Player of the Year.

Van Dijk beat Messi and Ronaldo to the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year and was also rewarded with the UEFA Best Defender accolade for his exploits with the Reds last season.

And supporting a defender as the favourite to win the coveted award for the first time since Fabio Cannavaro won it in 2006, Ramos believes Netherlands captain Van Dijk deserves the honour than any other competitor.

"It's tough to assess the criteria for individual awards. Van Dijk is a wonderful centre-back and he deserves to be there.

"Most of the talk is about forwards so the idea a player in a different position could win it is something positive.

"Ultimately, football is a collective sport and it's not easy to assess an individual award because you don't know the criteria."

Van Dijk, who joined Liverpool from Southampton in 2017 for a fee believed to be in the region of £75 million has enjoyed successful stint at Anfield as he featured thirty-eight times, scoring 4 goals with two assists when the side were pipped to the Premier League title by Manchester City by a point last season.