The Dutchman saw off strong competition to claim the individual honour for his performances and is the first defender to scoop the award for almost six years.

“I didn’t know that but I’m very proud to win this,” he told Premier League Productions upon receiving the trophy at Melwood on Friday.

“All credit to everyone that helped me win it and the fans who have been supporting me. December was a great month and hopefully we can keep going.

“It was a fantastic month for all of us, there were some great games. I enjoyed every bit of it. The Arsenal game was a great game to play in – it was obviously a fantastic win.”

December saw Van Dijk mark the one-year anniversary of the announcement an agreement had been reached for him to join Liverpool from Southampton.

The No.4’s influence on the team during 2018 was significant and he has quickly become a fan favourite due to his dominant displays at the back.

• Virgil van Dijk’s first LFC year in his own words

But the Netherlands captain demands more of himself.

“I’ve improved in every aspect of my game but there is still so much to learn and to get better at,” he said ahead of Saturday’s league meeting with Brighton and Hove Albion.

“I’m working every day to get to where I want to be – I want to get the maximum out of myself. That’s [done] by working every day and making sure that you give everything for the team and for your club.”

The Liverpool centre-back was in imperious form as 2018 drew to a close, featuring in every game as the Reds surged to the summit with seven consecutive league wins.

Van Dijk helped secure four clean sheets and also broke his Premier League duck for the club with a calm finish in the 2-0 victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers