Virgil van Dijk's 2018/19 season for Liverpool will live long in the memory.The Dutchman scooped the coveted PFA Player' Player of the Year award and is widely considered to be the best defender on the planet right now.Van Dijk was a key factor in Liverpool keeping 21 clean sheets throughout the Premier League season and he has transformed the Reds into one of the finest defensive units on the planet.The £75m that was spent to bring him in from Southampton now looks like a right bargain.If Liverpool ever were to sell him, they could probably demand over double that amount. But surely their centre-back will not leaving anytime soon, right?

Well, not in the mind of Garth Crooks, who believes that Van Dijk may seek an exit if the club do not win the Champions League on June 1.

When picking his Team of the Year, Crooks included the Dutchman alongside teammates Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andrew Robertson and Sadio Mane.

But when asked to offer his analysis on Van Dijk, he was adamant that failure to win a major trophy could see him leave.

Crooks said, per Liverpool Echo: "What Van Dijk has brought to Liverpool's defence is almost unquantifiable.

"I do feel however, that if Liverpool fail to win the Champions League , and that is by no means certain, it may hasten Van Dijk's departure.

"Players of his class need to be playing for the best team in the world."

It's almost as if Liverpool haven't been to two Champions League finals in two years and haven't just earned 97 points in a single Premier League season.

While they may end the season trophyless, there is no doubt that Liverpool are one of the best three teams in world football right now.

Better luck next time, Garth.