Sterling has taken City, and world football, by storm and that’s why, right now, he gets my player of the season vote ahead of Van Dijk

RAHEEM STERLING would be my Player of the Season, if I had to cast my vote today.

It’s around this time of year the Professional Footballers’ Association send out ballot papers for their members to pick their “Oscar” winners and compile the best XI of opponents they have faced in the campaign.

And, for me, Sterling does not just deserve the gong as a driving force behind Manchester City’s pursuit of an incredible Quadruple.

He has become one of the most effective players in world football.

In all competitions for City this season, he has scored 19 goals and supplied 16 assists – an extraordinary individual contribution in a team so breathtaking to watch all over the park.

The most difficult part in football is scoring goals – putting the ball in the net, from two yards or 30 – and making chances for others.

Sterling has become a master of both crafts. He was already a rough diamond when he joined City from Liverpool, but under Pep Guardiola’s guidance he has improved year on year.

If Liverpool go on to snatch the title and lift the European Cup – as I write, they are two points clear and have drawn Porto in the Champions League quarter-finals – I will have egg on my face for picking Sterling ahead of Virgil van Dijk.

To be honest, it was a toss-up between them.

Van Dijk has looked the best centre-half in the world, and he is the biggest single factor behind Liverpool having the best defensive record in all four divisions.

Anyone who doubted he was worth £75million, when they signed him from Southampton 15 months ago, is tucking into humble pie now.

In today’s market, a player of VVD’S quality would cost at least twice as much, possibly £175-200m, and he’d be worth every penny.

As a general rule, punters pay to watch football, hoping to see goals and exotic skills, not defenders spoiling the party.

But Van

Dijk’s meteoric rise – he was playing for Groningen in Holland only five years ago – to become a towering influence at Liverpool warrants recognition. He does not deserve to finish the season empty-handed.

Sergio Aguero would also make the podium if I cast my ballot paper this weekend. It is laughable, but not funny, that he has never even made the Premier League XI as chosen by his fellow pros before.

But with 28 goals this season, 18 of them in the Prem, I suspect that’s about to change. The highest compliment I can pay him is this – if I was a manager under pressure, and I had to pick one striker to score a goal to save my job, I would pick Aguero just ahead of Harry Kane. I don’t know whether that platinum rinse has had anything to do with it but, for clinical finishing, he is still head and shoulders the one who sets the standard. Although I don’t think any of them can win the PFA Player of the Year title itself, I would give honourable mentions to Fernandinho, Paul Pogba and Heung-min Son.

If City are missing John Stones at the back, they can bring in Vincent Kompany or Nicolas Otamendi. If they are missing Sterling, in comes Leroy Sane. If they are without Aguero, they can fall back on Gabriel Jesus.

But if Fernandinho’s mix of power and technique is not available, he is more irreplaceable than any individual. That’s quite an accolade in a sky full of stars.

Pogba has been the poster boy for Manchester United’s dramatic transformation under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Now he is providing goals, assists, power and drive from his best position, he looks like a World Cup winner again. And Son’s fantastic work ethic kept Tottenham’s season afloat, while Kane and Dele Alli were injured.

When they needed him, he even flew home from the Asian Cup and went straight into the team, virtually jet-lagged, to help manager Mauricio Pochettino’s team stay in the top three.

But when it comes to the PFA ballot, I suspect a lot of players will recognise the true value of Sterling is not about the pound in their pockets.