Manchester United Treble winner Jaap Stam says Barcelona star Lionel Messi deserved this season's Ballon d'Or.

While happy to see Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk on the dais, Stam admits Messi was a worthy winner.

He told Goal: "Defenders are often underestimated and usually receive less attention.

"However, times are changing and fortunately the contribution of a defender is increasingly appreciated nowadays.

"Scorers are paid better and receive more attention. It has always been and always will be.

"I therefore believe that Messi is still the best player in the world in the current circumstances.

"In my view, it is therefore right that the Ballon d'Or went to him last year. I would of course have liked Van Dijk to have received the prize, because he really did a great job.

"But Messi has been scoring and creating goals under pressure at Barcelona for many years, which is why he is rightly the winner of the Ballon d'Or."