Jurgen Klopp Names 3 Liverpool Players in Contention for PFA Player of the Year Award

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has picked Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah as strong contenders to win the PFA Player of the Year award at the end

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has picked Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah as strong contenders to win the PFA Player of the Year award at the end of the season.

The Reds currently lead the Premier League by two points over Manchester City in second place. Defence has been a major part of their title challenge, with the Reds conceding a league-best 18 goals.

As a result centre back Van Dijk has been earmarked as one of the frontrunners to win the coveted Player of the Year gong, with City duo Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling also early favourites.

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Klopp has also suggested that Mane and last season's winner Salah - who have both scored 17 league goals this season - are in contention for the prize.

As quoted by the Liverpool Echo, the German said: "Virgil is a fantastic player but we cannot have the points we have without having a lot of really good players.

"If you take the last 10 weeks, and not only that, I would say Sadio Mane is probably in the race as well. If you take the 10 weeks before that then Mo Salah is in the race again.

Should Sadio Mane be considered for the player of the year? 🏆

The forward has been one of Liverpool's best players this season! 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/prgoWKf2y6

— 90min (@90min_Football) March 30, 2019

"At the end there will be a very, very good player winning that competition. If it was a Liverpool player for the second time in a row that would be really big as well because it is another sign that things are going in the right direction."

A win for a Liverpool player will also see the club win back-to-back awards since wins for Sir Kenny Dalglish in 1983 and Ian Rush in 1984, in what would recognise what has been a great campaign for the club.

It's Van Dijk however who appears to be the Reds' most likely player to win the accolade, due to his displays at the back both this season with Klopp recalling the club's decision to make a 'massive statement' in bringing the 27-year-old to Anfield for £75m in January 2018.

He added: "I told him what we wanted to do in the next couple of years and what the plan is, who we have, who we plan to bring in and things we want to improve. All that stuff.

"It was a really big moment for him and for us as well. It was a massive statement, that is true. In that moment he was the most wanted centre-half, maybe with Laporte and Koulibaly as well, but in England it was for sure Virgil."