Bundesliga players vote Premier League star as winner in poll for ‘best defender in the world’
Bundesliga players have voted Premier League champion Ruben Dias as the best defender in the world.
German sports magazine Kicker asks 252 Bundesliga players each year to take part in polls regarding several topics. One of those is the question of who is the best defender in world football.
Dias, who won the Premier League with Manchester City, has come out on top. The Portuguese picked up 24.2% of the votes, with 31.2% being those who chose 'other' or not to vote, per sportBIBLE.
Others that made the list were Real Madrid's David Alaba who came second with 9.9%. His teammate Antonio Rudiger was third with 7.9% and Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk came fourth with 6%. City are well represented as Dias' teammates John Stones (5.2%) and Kyle Walker (4%) also made the top 10.
Dias has earned plaudits following a sensational season at the Etihad where he flourished in Pep Guardiola's defense. The Portuguese international featured 43 times across competitions, helping the treble winners keep 21 clean sheets. He was a stalwart and his peers certainly realize his importance to the Ciyzens side.
The 26-year-old joined City in 2020 and he has already won three Premier League titles, the Champions League, the FA Cup and the League Cup. He won the PFA Player of the Year award in 2021.
Ruben Dias accomplished his biggest goal of winning the Premier League in 2021
Dias made an immediate impact at City after his summer move from Benfica for £62 million in 2020. He made 50 appearances across competitions in his debut campaign at the Etihad. The Portuguese helped Guardiola's men keep 27 clean sheets in those games.
He was up for the PFA Player of the Year award, which he eventually won. However, Dias admitted that he would much rather win the league title than the individual accolade. He said in 2021 (via ESPN):
"If you said to me that, 'In your first year in the Premier League you can win the Player of the Year,' it would be amazing. But, what I really want in my first year is to win the Premier League. That would be my biggest achievement."
Dias did both and also won the League Cup and the club's Player of the Year award. His dogged determination and passionate performances have since him compared to the likes of John Terry and Rio Ferdinand. The Portuguese international has quickly become a hero at the Eithad.