Jurgen Klopp joked that Virgil van Dijk's inclusion in the FIFPRO Men's World XI was not down to his last four or five Liverpool outings.
The Reds have shipped an abnormal amount of goals this season, with Van Dijk in the line-up for the 5-2 drubbing at the hands of Real Madrid in the first-leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie. Despite this, the Dutchman was given the nod as one of the world's best centre-backs as a result of his stellar 2022.
Discussing Van Dijk's inclusion during his pre-match presser ahead of Liverpool's home clash with Wolves on Wednesday night, Klopp explained how his star defender was worthy of his place in the world eleven.