Jurgen Klopp believes Liverpool have three strong contenders for the PFA Player of the Year award.

Virgil van Dijk is the hot favourite to win the coveted accolade ahead of Manchester City duo Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero.

If the Dutch defender follows in the footsteps of Mohamed Salah it will be the first time Liverpool have had back-to-back winners since Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush in the 1980s.

Klopp insists that Sadio Mane and Salah, who have each netted 20 goals in all competitions so far this term, should also be in contention.

“Virgil is a fantastic player but we cannot have the points we have without having a lot of really good players,” Klopp said.

“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.

“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.”

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(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Van Dijk has been a revelation at Anfield since his £75million move from Southampton in January 2018. He has expertly marshalled a backline which has leaked just 18 league goals in 31 games so far this season.

A host of top clubs - including title rivals Manchester City - wanted to secure Van Dijk's signature, but Klopp sold him the promise that he would be joining a side ready to challenge for the biggest prizes with him playing a pivotal role.

His faith has been repaid with the Reds top of the Premier League table and in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Klopp views the signing of Van Dijk as a "massive statement" in terms of the progress he's overseen.

“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,” Klopp recalled.

“Obviously he listened and thought it sounded exciting. I was not surprised when the decision was made but I was not sure before because I knew who else was in the race for him.

“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.

“These things are so important for us, so important, but it is not only him. I said pretty much the same things to Gini Wijnaldum. Not that I always say the same things but it was the project we talked about and what we wanted to achieve in the future.

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“I tend to say the 100% truth. Sometimes it leads to a strange situation where the player thinks 'okay, that's not for me' but if a player has to fight for his position or not that much, I say it in the first meeting.

“Then they are not surprised when they are in. It is all clarified from the start. When Virgil made his decision it was a fantastic day.”