Former "Liverpool" club security guard Danny Murphy expressed his opinion about the upcoming "Ballon d'Or" awards.
At the beginning of next month, the "France Football" magazine will award the "Golden Ball" to a new owner. Among the real candidates are two names - Virgil van Dijk and Lionel Messi.
D. Murphy claims that the winner is more than clear - it is the "Liverpool" midfielder.
"I think there is only one clear winner: van Dijk," the Englishman said on the "talkSPORT" radio show. "I am convinced of this because he has had a huge impact on this 'Liverpool' team."
"There are many aspects that show this: the same leadership growth and influence he has had on other players. It's incredible the impact his arrival had, especially on the defensive quartet.
Full-backs have made a huge leap thanks to van Dijk, who gives them security. Look at how easily he deals with opponents trying to launch quick attacks.
Limited talking about Joel Matip's performances, but he plays incredibly and one of the reasons is playing alongside Virgil. The same happened with Joe Gomez.
We can talk about the influence of Salah, Mane, and Firmino on this team, but I'm not sure if 'Liverpool' could have won the Champions League without van Dijk," added D. Murphy.
