The former Red Devil has named the Dutchman as the deserving candidate of the award.

Former Manchester United star and club legend Gary Neville has tipped Liverpool's Virgil Van Dijk to win the 2018/2019 Premier League Player of the Year award. The 27-year-old center back has attracted massive plaudits for consistently impressing in the ongoing campaign while his Liverpool side rigorously battles Manchester City for the league title.

Having joined the Reds for a club-record fee in January 2018, the Dutchman has successfully fit into the plans of Jurgen Klopp. Momentarily, he is odds-on for the PFA's topmost gong despite the likes of Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero providing some competition.

While Van Dijk could possibly become the first defender to win the accolade since John Terry did it 14 years ago, Gary Neville believes that the ex-Southampton will be "100 percent" deserving. '

"Van Dijk has been absolutely outstanding,' Neville said while on punditry duty on Sky Sports ahead of Liverpool's league clash with Southampton on Friday. 

"I remember looking back through my career at players like Jaap Stam, Gary Pallister, Rio Ferdinand... He (Van Dijk) is a player who makes everyone feel safe.

"He does the job of all four defenders. I think Sergio Ramos and Varane have been the best defenders in the world recently but there's no doubt he will be up there. 

"He can head, his defending is brilliant, on the ball he's a joke. He passes the ball like a midfielder. 

"One hundred per cent he is the player of the year. I don't think anybody has even got close to him."