The Dutch centre back became the second Liverpool player to win the prestigious award in two years, after Mohamed Salah was crowned last season.
Van Dijk has had an incredible campaign as the Reds pursue a first league title in 29 years.
The centre-half has led from the back with nobody registering a dribble past him, 207 duels won, 183 clearances and three goals.
Liverpool are currently one point behind league leaders Manchester City at the summit of the table.
With just two games remaining, Klopp’s side is hoping City drop points against either Leicester City or Brighton, but have remained in the hunt for the title largely due to van Dijk.
A year and a half on from his £75million move from Southampton, van Dijk was praised by his manager after receiving the player of the year award, as the German boss snuck in a cheeky reference to the lofty transfer fee.
“Hello and welcome from Melwood to all of you sat around hopefully slightly better dressed than I am,” Klopp joked in his introduction.
“I’m really proud it’s the second time in a row I can speak about a wonderful player who won the award for Player of the Season: Virgil van Dijk.
“Who would have thought that when he started back in Holland? I think not everybody saw immediately what kind of player hides in this giant body.
“But now the whole world is aware of that and I’m really happy I can be a little bit around that development.
“I would love to think it’s because of me! But obviously it’s not, he was already the player he is now when we bought him for a very very small price from Southampton.
“It all worked out. From the first moment I was so excited about the opportunity to work together and now you are the man – at least for this season!”
Van Dijk was joined in the team of the year by team-mates Sadio Mane, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson, and Klopp admitted that he didn’t understood why there weren’t more of his players involved.
“I have to mention, because they are sat around as well, I have the exact same pride for Sadio, Robbo and Trent,” he continued.
“At the moment we have a pretty special group of players here together. I think we can agree there could have been three, four, five or six more players in the team of the year with a Liverpool shirt on.
“But, because City have played a good season as well, it’s fine that a few of them have made it into the team of the season.
“I can’t be there because we still play football. Somebody has to be here working as well. I know our owners are there as well, have a good time, come back healthy and let’s go to Barcelona. See you soon.”