Biography: Virgil van Dijk is a professional footballer from the Netherlands who currently plays center-back for Liverpool and the national team of the Netherlands. He was born in Breda, Netherlands, on July 8, 1991.
Childhood and the Workforce:
Before joining Willem II’s youth academy, Van Dijk played football from a young age and was a member of the local club WDS’19. After that, he made the move to FC Groningen in 2011, where, at the age of 20, he made his professional debut.
Club Life:
Van Dijk won two Scottish Premiership titles and was named Scottish Professional Football League Player of the Year in 2015 after impressing with Groningen. In 2013, he was signed by Celtic, a Scottish club. He moved to Southampton, an English club, in 2015 for a reported £13 million. There, he became a key player and was named Southampton’s Player of the Year from 2016 to 2017. He was reportedly acquired by Liverpool in January 2018 for £75 million, which at the time was the highest sum ever paid for a defender.
Van Dijk rose to prominence at Liverpool and was named Man of the Match in the final of the 2018-19 UEFA Champions League for his crucial role in the team’s victory. In addition, he was a major contributor to Liverpool winning the Premier League title in the 2019-20 season.
A career in other countries:
Van Dijk made his national team debut in 2015 and has since become a regular player for the Netherlands. In 2019, he was a major contributor to the Netherlands’ success in reaching the UEFA Nations League final.
Life at Home:
Rike Nooitgedagt, Van Dijk’s wife, and the couple have two children together. He is well-known for his charitable efforts, and in 2020, the Giving Back Fund named him the most charitable football player in the world.
Van Dijk sustained a severe knee injury in 2020, which kept him out of the rest of the season and the 2020 European Championship. He is currently recuperating from the injury, and it is anticipated that he will resume playing football soon.
- Full name: Virgil van Dijk
- Date of birth: 8 July 1991
- Age: 31
- Place of birth: Breda, Netherlands
- Height: 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)
- Position(s): Centre-back
- Current team: Liverpool
- Jersey Number: 4
- Father: Ron van Dijk,
- Mother: Hellen Fo Sieeuw
- Siblings: Jordan & Jennifer van Dijk
- Wife: Rike Nooitgedagt
- Children: Nila van Dijk, Jadi van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk Lifestyle
On and off the field, Virgil van Dijk is renowned for his disciplined and professional lifestyle. He works out at the gym regularly to stay in top physical shape because he is committed to keeping his fitness up.
Van Dijk is well-known for adhering to a strict and healthy eating plan that emphasizes foods high in protein and nutrients. He is known to eat a lot of vegetables and lean meats and steers clear of processed and sugary foods.
Van Dijk is known for being a family man outside of the field, and he spends a lot of his free time with his wife and children. He is also well-known for his charitable work and has participated in a variety of charitable endeavors over the years.
Van Dijk prefers to keep his personal life private, so he doesn’t talk much about it on social media. However, he uses social media to promote his charitable work and endorsements, as well as to provide updates on his football career.
Virgil van Dijk Records
When Liverpool signed van Dijk in January 2018, he became the world’s most expensive defender for a reported £75 million.
In 2019, Van Dijk became the first defender since 2006 to win both the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award and the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award.
He became the first defender since John Terry in 2005 to win the Premier League Player of the Year award for the 2018-19 season.
For the 2018-19 season, Van Dijk was named the UEFA Champions League Defender of the Year.
He was a member of the Liverpool squad that won the Premier League in 2019-20 and the UEFA Champions League in 2018-19, Liverpool’s first league championship in 30 years.
Van Dijk is well-known for his skill in the air; during the 2018-19 season, he won 87 percent of his aerial battles, the highest percentage of any Premier League player.
Additionally, he has been a key member of the Netherlands national team, assisting them in reaching the 2019 UEFA Nations League final.
Overall, van Dijk’s outstanding performances have established him as one of the world’s best defenders, and he continues to be an essential member of both Liverpool and Netherlands’ national teams.
Virgil van Dijk Statistics
Here are some of the key statistics for Virgil van Dijk’s football career:
Club Career:
FC Groningen (2011-2013): 62 appearances, 7 goals
Celtic (2013-2015): 76 appearances, 9 goals
Southampton (2015-2018): 80 appearances, 7 goals
Liverpool (2018-present): 148 appearances, 15 goals
International Career:
Netherlands national team (2015-present): 54 appearances, 6 goals
Van Dijk has won numerous individual awards throughout his career, including the PFA Players’ Player of the Year, UEFA Men’s Player of the Year, and Premier League Player of the Season.
He has been a key player for Liverpool since joining the club in 2018, helping them win the UEFA Champions League in 2018-19 and the Premier League in 2019-20.
Van Dijk is known for his aerial ability and physicality, and his passing accuracy and defensive statistics are also impressive. In the 2019-20 Premier League season, he had a pass accuracy of 89.2%, won 75% of his tackles, and made an average of 4.2 clearances per game.
In addition to his defensive prowess, van Dijk is also a threat in the opposition box and has scored several important goals throughout his career.
Virgil van Dijk Awards
PFA Players’ Player of the Year (2019)
UEFA Men’s Player of the Year (2019)
Premier League Player of the Season (2018-19)
Defender of the Year in the UEFA Champions League (2018-19)
Liverpool Player of the Season (2018-19)
Southampton Player of the Season (2015-16, 2016-17)
Scottish Professional Football League Player of the Year (2014-15)
Scottish Professional Football League Team of the Year (2014-15)
Van Dijk has also been included in the UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season on multiple occasions and was named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year in both the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.
In addition to these individual awards, van Dijk has also won numerous team trophies with his clubs, including the Scottish Premiership, the Scottish League Cup, the UEFA Champions League, and the Premier League. He has also played a key role in helping the Netherlands national team reach the final of the UEFA Nations League.
Virgil van Dijk Family
On July 8, 1991, Virgil van Dijk was born in Breda, Netherlands. His father, who played for a local team, introduced him to football as he was growing up in a family that was devoted to the sport.
Rike Nooitgedagt, whom Van Dijk met while playing for Groningen, is his wife. They tied the knot in 2019 and now have a son named Jax and a daughter named Nila.
It is common knowledge that Van Dijk places a high value on his family, and he frequently posts pictures of them on social media. He has also mentioned how his family has been there for him throughout his football career and how they continue to inspire him.
Additionally, Van Dijk has been involved in charitable endeavors that support disadvantaged families and children, such as the construction of a football field in his hometown of Breda.