Van Dijk wins PFA Player of the Year award

Liverpool centre back Virgil van Dijk was named Player of the Year by England's Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) on Sunday, becoming the fourth player from the Netherlands to win the award.

The 27-year-old has transformed Liverpool's defence since joining from Southampton in January last year for a world record fee of 75 million pounds ($96.89 million) for a defender.

The Dutchman has helped the title-chasing Merseysiders keep 19 clean sheets in the Premier League and they have conceded the fewest goals in the top flight so far this season.

Liverpool are also in the Champions League semifinals.

"I think it's the highest honour you can get as a player to get voted Player of the year by the players you play against every week. It's special. I'm very proud and honoured to win," Van Dijk told Sky Sports.

Arsenal's Dutch forward Vivianne Miedema, 22, claimed the women's Player of the Year award, having earlier on Sunday helped the London club secure their third Women's Super League title with her 22nd goal of the season.

Van Dijk topped a six-man shortlist, voted for by PFA members from the 92 Premier and Football League clubs, beating Manchester City's Raheem Sterling, Sergio Aguero and Bernardo Silva plus team-mate Sadio Mane and Chelsea forward Eden Hazard.

The Dutch international is the second Liverpool player in a row to win the award after forward Mohamed Salah last year and joins compatriots Dennis Bergkamp, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Robin van Persie in claiming the honour.

Van Dijk is the first defender to win the award since Chelsea centre-back John Terry in 2005.

Sterling wins FWA award

On Monday, Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling was voted Footballer of the Year in the annual vote of members of the Football Writers' Association, announced on Monday.

City forward Sterling has been a key member of the City team which is two wins away from defending their Premier League title and has also been a prominent voice in the campaigns against racism in the game.

Nikita Parris won the FWA's Women's Footballer of the Year award -- like Sterling, the 25-year-old plays for Manchester City and England.

The FWA said Sterling collected 62 percent of the vote of more than 400 members of the organisation which brings together journalists and others in the football media.

Sterling had 100 votes more than Van Dijk.

Other players to receive votes from FWA members were Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal), Bernardo Silva and David Silva (Manchester City).