Klopp and Van Dijk Honored with December’s Premier League Awards

I can’t remember the last time a player and a manager from the same club were honored for excellence during the same month. Is it special? Has it happened at Liverpool before? These are all great questions I’m asking but more importantly we’ve got a couple of superlative fellows to celebrate on Merseyside. Jürgen Klopp and Virgil Van Dijk just swept the field.

The Premier League Manager of the Month of December was given to Jürgen Klopp for his winning achievements in two intense derbies with Everton and Manchester United, a 5-1 rout of Arsenal before the end of the year, and a string of wins in which Liverpool conceded just four goals throughout the month.

Klopp was nominated for the award along with Wolverhampton manager Nuno Espirto Santo, Tottenham Hotspur’s Mauricio Pochettino and Chelsea’s Maurizio Sarri.

Van Dijk was given the Premier League Player of the Month for similar excellence against tough opposition. Van Dijk has been absolutely crucial to Liverpool’s defensive dominance this season. His individual efforts alone are outstanding. His pace, strength, and height make him a formidable opponent to deal with.

But Van Dijk’s reading of the game is equally outstanding. And he communicates his information constantly to his teammates around him. That’s what you want from a leader at the back.

Van Dijk reigns supreme over Felipe Anderson, Eden Hazard, Harry Kane obviously, and our very own Mohamed Salah.

Well done, Klopp and Van Dijk. Well done, everyone.