Defender 4
Virgil van Dijk joined Liverpool in the winter transfer window of 2018 after his iconic move from Southampton, becoming one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League and in all of Europe. He is the definition of a complete player, as his impact on the stability of Liverpool cannot be overstated.
Biography
Van Dijk was born on July 8, 1991, in Breda, North Brabant, Netherlands. His Father, Ron van Dijk, is Dutch, and his mother, Hellen Chin Fo Sieeuw, is of Afro-Surinamese and partial Chinese descent. He grew up in Kesteren, in the city district of Breda, which was where his journey as a footballer kicked off.
At just 11 years old, his parents’ marriage broke up, causing him to move in with his mother. His father broke all contact with the family, leaving his care solely to his mother to handle alone. His early days were rough, as he played street football before eventually joining the Willem II academy.
According to the Dutchman, he had a minimal job on the side while also playing football. He was unsuccessful as a right back before being shifted to the centre-back position, where he had to struggle before getting a contract.
Career
Virgil van Dijk left Willem II as a free agent in 2010 at 19 years old after the club refused to offer him a contract. He joined FC Groningen, another club in the Netherlands, where he also had to struggle before breaking into the first team.
On May 1, 2011, he made his professional debut for FC Groningen in a 4:2 victory against ADO Den Haag. He was brought in as a substitute in the 72nd minute of the game. He scored his first professional goal on May 29, 2011, against the same side in a 5:1 victory in the UEFA Europa League playoff. Scoring twice in a game that was also his first-ever start for the club.
The 2011/2012 season was his breakout season at FC Groningen; he became a regular starter, making 23 appearances, including scoring his first league goal. Tragedy struck Van Dijk after he was diagnosed with advanced appendicitis, peritonitis, and kidney poisoning.
The Dutchman underwent surgery, during which he spent 13 days in the hospital and could not walk for about 10 days. Despite how intense the sickness was, he survived, and in the summer of 2012 he returned to training along with the Groningen squad.
In the summer of 2013, many clubs reached out to FC Groningen, trying to sign Van Dijk. The likes of PSV, Brighton & Hove Albion FC, Krasnodar, and Ajax tried to get his signature, but all the transfers failed.
Virgil van Dijk eventually signed for Scottish side Celtic on June 21, 2013, for a transfer fee of £2.6 million, on a four-year contract, but he spent just two full seasons at the club before moving to the Premier League.
On August 17, 2013, he made his debut appearance for Celtic against Aberdeen in the Scottish Premier League. He came in as a substitute in the 77th minute of the 2:0 away victory. Van Dijk scored his first goal for Celtic on November 9, 2013, in a 4:1 victory against Ross County.
At the end of his first season, he made 47 appearances in all competitions, including being named in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year and was also nominated for the PFA Scotland Players’ Player of the Year award, but lost the award to a teammate.
In the 2014/2015 season, he scored 10 goals for Celtic even as a defender, helping them win the Scottish League title. He pulled in a masterclass performance, and for the second season he was named in the League’s team of the season, and again shortlisted for the PFA Scotland Player award, which he lost to a teammate.
On the last day of the 2015 transfer window, Virgil van Dijk signed for Premier League club Southampton, at that time under the management of the Dutch coach Ronald Koeman. The club paid a whopping £13 million for a five-year contract, making him the most expensive Dutch defender.
On September 12, 2015, exactly 11 days after signing for Southampton, he made his debut appearance for the club against West Bromwich Albion; the game ended in a 0:0 draw at the Hawthorns stadium. On his third Premier League appearance against Swansea City, he scored his first Premier League goal.
Before the end of his first season with Southampton, on May 7, 2016, he was offered a new six-year contract with the club. This was barely just 8 months after his initial contract with the club, as they saw him as a defensive asset.
In the 2016/2017 season, he was named the club’s captain after the departure of José Fonte; he finished the season with 30 appearances in all competitions for Southampton, although he was slowed down by cases of injuries.
At the end of the season, many Premier League clubs were already showing interest in signing the Dutchman; the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, and Liverpool were strong contenders trying to get Van Dijk’s signature.
In a quest to move to the bigger stage, he handed Southampton a transfer request, showing his interest in a move to Merseyside. However, he remained at the club at the start of the 2017/ 2018 season, making his first appearance after injury. He played his last game for Southampton on December 13, 2017, against Leicester City.
Liverpool paid a world-record-breaking transfer fee for a defender, paying £75 million to Southampton, with 10% of the fee going to his former club, Celtic. This transfer would go down to become the greatest stabilizer for the Liverpool squad.
On January 5, 2018, Van Dijk made his debut for Liverpool in the third round of the FA Cup against Everton. He even scored the winning goal to give the Reds a 2:1 lead in the 84th minute, a perfect header which Pickford, the Everton goalkeeper, never saw coming.
Virgil van Dijk’s presence for the Liverpool side was a morale booster, as his partnership with Dejan Lovren completely sealed the Liverpool defence; their pair was the toughest for attackers in the Premier League and across Europe.
For his season with Liverpool, he made 22 appearances, helping the Reds reach the UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid, which they eventually lost 3:1.
The 2019/2019 season was the most iconic for the Dutchman; he scored his first Premier League goal on December 21, 2018, against Wolverhampton Wanderers in a 2:0 victory. He even went on to win the Premier League player of the month award for December.
He finished the season with six goals, including a Champions League goal against Bayern Munich. He was nominated for the PFA Players’ Player of the Year and was also named in the PFA Team of the Year. Van Dijk was named player of the match in the 2019 UEFA Champions League final against Tottenham Hotspur, with Liverpool lifting the trophy after a 2:0 victory.
On 28 April 2019, he was named the PFA Players’ Player of the Year, making him the number 8 on the list of Liverpool players who have won the award.
At the start of the 2019/2020 season, Van Dijk won the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year Award, becoming the second Liverpool player to win the award after Steven Gerrard in 2005. He was shortlisted for the final three of the Best FIFA Men’s Player awards, which included Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
On September 23, 2019, he was voted runner-up in The Best FIFA Men’s Player, with Lionel Messi winning the award ahead of him. However, he was included in the FIFA Pro Men’s World 11, alongside fellow Liverpool player Alisson Becker.
At the Ballon d’Or ceremony in December 2019, Van Dijk was the runner-up of the award behind Lionel Messi. This raised eyebrows in the media, as many pundits believed the defender deserved the award over Messi.
Regardless, the 2019/2020 season was still another amazing one for the Liverpool centre-back, as he helped Liverpool win the Premier League trophy for the first time after 30 years, which they had won last before then in the 1989/1990 season.
In the 2020/2021 season, Virgil Van Dijk suffered a serious ACL injury after he collided with Jordan Pickford in the 6th minute of the Merseyside derby against Everton. He underwent knee surgery that kept him out for nine months, until his return in July 2021.
On July 21, 2021, Van Dijk made his first appearance for Liverpool after his injury; he was brought in as a second-half substitute in a pre-season friendly against Hertha BSC. A month later, on 13 August, 2021, he was offered a new four-year contract that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2025.
Returning fully to action for Liverpool in the 2021/2022 season, Van Dijk helped Liverpool win the EFL Cup against Chelsea, where he scored one of the incredible tight-angle penalties. He finished the season with a UEFA Champions League final runner-up medal, as Liverpool lost 1:0 to Real Madrid in the final.
His performance in the 2021/2022 season earned him a place in the Premier League PFA Team of the Year, and also a medal as the winner of the EFL Cup and FA Cup.
His Partnership with Ibrahima Konaté was one of the most solid in the entire Premier League, as they were a formidable force under both the management of Jürgen Klopp and Arne Slot.
In the 2024/2025 season, he became the first Liverpool player to reach 200 game wins in 300 appearances. On April 17, 2025, Liverpool offered Van Dijk a two-year contract extension, putting his wages among the highest at the club.
At the end of the 2024/2025 season, he won his first Premier League title as the Liverpool captain; this was also his second for the club, after his earlier title in the 2019/2020 season.
PROFILE
Full name: Virgil van Dijk
Date of Birth: July 8, 1991
Nationality: Netherlands
Position: Centre-back
Height: 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)
Preferred foot: Right
Current Club: Liverpool FC
International team: Netherlands
Liverpool Shirt Number: No. 4
CLUB TROPHIES
| Honours | Year |
|---|---|
| Premier League | 2019/2020, 2024,2025 |
| Champions League | 2019 |
| FIFA Club World Cup | 2019 |
| FA Cup | 2022 |
| Carabao Cup | 2022, 2024 |
| UEFA Super Cup | 2019 |
| FA Community Shield | 2022 |
| Scottish Premiership | 2013/2014, 2014/2015 |
| Scottish League Cup | 2014/2015 |
