Reports | Lucy Bronze and Virgil van Dijk awarded UEFA Player of the Year awards

SportsCafe Desk

By SportsCafe Desk, SportsCafe Editor

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England’s Lucy Bronze has been awarded the UEFA Women's Player of the Year, while Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk took home the men's award. Lucy Bronze is the first English woman who has managed to win the award, while van Dijk won it for his towering presence in the Reds defence.

English full-back Lucy Bronze beat out her Lyon teammates Ada Hegerberg and Amandine Henry to win the award. The BBC reports that the fullback was unable to come to the presentation ceremony, but speaking in a video recording, Bronze had a lot to say about the award, going to add that her England teammates made a big difference.  

“I'm ecstatic and super-humbled to have won the award up against two fantastic players who I know really well at Lyon. I want to say a huge thanks to the Lionesses, the England team. We had a great summer and I don't think I would have won this award if it wasn't for them. The same goes for the Lyon team. We had an amazing season, we won the treble. I think anyone of those girls could have been up here receiving this award." she added to reports the BBC.

Meanwhile, Liverpool and Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk managed to beat the two stalwarts of modern-day, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, to the award. The Player of the Year award was first presented in 2010-11 season, and the 28 year old centre back is the first defender who has won the award. 

After winning the award, van Dijk said reports the BBC, "I'm very proud to get this trophy. It's a credit to everyone who has helped me, I need to thank my team-mates, without them I would not have achieved what I have achieved. It's been a long road and it's part of my journey."

Virgil van Dijk has been an outstanding signing for Liverpool so far. Joining from Southampton in a £75m deal in January last year, he has repeatedly given superb performances in the Liverpool jersey and was an integral part of the squad last season, as the Merseyside based club went on to win the UEFA Champions League last season. 

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