Gary Breen is tipping Liverpool stalwart Virgil Van Dijk for the PFA Player of the Year award, describing the Dutch international as one of the Premier League's greatest ever defenders.
Jordan Henderson is the current bookies' favourite for the award but will face stiff competition from a number of his Liverpool teammates, Van Dijk - the awards holder - included.
No player has retained the gong since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2007/08. However, Van Dijk will have a good case as his Liverpool team lie 22 points atop the Premier League.
Speaking on OTB Football Saturday, Breen made the case for the Dutch international, who has conceded just 15 goals in 25 Premier League appearances.
"The press will have their favourite as such and he is obviously a darling of the press right now. But Van Dijk, you're telling me in terms of the player, if you take Van Dijk out of that Liverpool team you can't replace him and they would not be as far ahead as they are now.
"You talk about people winning games for you like the Manés, and I've always said this: strikers win you games, defenders win you leagues. If they didn't have Van Dijk, if they hadn't made that signing, they would not be winning the league."
While much is made of the brilliance of Liverpool's wing-backs, Breen argued that Van Dijk was far more crucial to Liverpool's title aspirations.
"In terms of Van Dijk, take him out of that team and they are not romping this league.
"It's amazing in terms of having a centre half who just repels. As soon as the ball goes up to him it just invariably goes back to Liverpool, and they start another attack again. In stark contrast to City, if you go up against those two centre-halves you run through them and end up having strikes. It's not only his performances it's also what he does to everyone around him.
While the debate over the award has been dominated by which one of Liverpool's players will go up to collect it, Breen believes the one player outside of Merseyside who could be in contention is Kevin de Bruyne.
"I think Kevin De Bruyne has had an unbelievable season but it has been clouded by their defence being so poor so the title challenge has looked like a poor one. In terms of going forward, they are still as breathtakingly good as they were. It's just defensively you cant rely on them."
That said, Breen was adamant that every player in the league has to recognise Van Dijk's talent.
"I think every player in that Premier League who will have come up against Van Dijk will just look at him and think, 'My God you're exceptional. In terms of your physical presence you can deal with robust centre-forward's like Andy Carroll, you can deal with quick ones and drag them out into those full-back areas.
"As much as people are saying, I think he is arguably going to be considered the best Premier League centre-back we have ever seen alongside your Rio Ferdinands, John Terrys, those kind of guys. I think he is that good."
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