The Football Insider with Mikael Silvestre: Salah, Van Dijk the top two players of the season

It has been in many ways a strange season of football in the English Premier League and as I have noted before this will not go down as one of the all-time great years when people look back on it in the future.

But I don’t agree in any shape or form with some who claim things have been stale and that there is a lack of genuine excitement each weekend.

From a players perspective the levels on show are just as good as they have ever been – this is a league full of technically amazing stars who combine that with unbelievable fitness and technical nous.

And when it comes to picking a player of the season then without question Mo Salah is the standout candidate.

He is a player who truly combines everything that is needed from a modern forward player.

Mo can put the ball in the back of the net clinically, he creates opportunities for others and his work ethic is up there with the very best in the league.

On top of that he closes defenders down and can drift in and out of games whenever he feels the need to take a break before powering back into the action with something that swings the results Liverpool’s way.

A close second to him for player of the year would be his club captain, Virgil van Dijk — a defender who many thought was past his best but has had a year this time around that is as good as he has ever had in a red shirt.

He leads by example, and it is not often understood but he is very clever when it comes to tactics and I think he has the early markings of a potentially great manager in that respect.

This season Virgil has gone about his business with total class and always contributed a lot in the opposition box by causing problems for people at corners and free-kicks.

When you look at these two players and what they have done this season they really are what have made Liverpool run out pretty easy winners as Premier League champions.

Have they peaked? I think they both have another season at the very top level left in them which is a major worry for teams like Arsenal and Man City who will be hoping to put in a proper challenge come August.

Mo and Virgil have not had terrible injuries and like almost all modern players really look after themselves off the pitch – so with that in mind the teams hoping to knock Liverpool off the perch will just have to get better.

It has been a shame to now have seen Rodri following that terrible injury at the start of the season as he a player who could have pushed Mo and Virgil when it comes to individual honours.

With him back and a couple of signings then City will be in with a chance.

(Former French defender Mikael Silvestre won five Premier League titles with Manchester United. He was also part of the United team that won the 2008 Champions League title)