Virgil van Dijk has proven himself in the biggest stages of all many times, he has been a mainstay in the Premier League club Liverpool. He is one of the best defenders, if not the best defender in the world. His versatility as a defender makes him a great asset on the field who can stop any kind of attack or counterattack.

He is the only defender in the world to have won the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award. This bolstered his popularity among the fans who were curious to know more about him.

This article delves into the key aspects of the Dutch talent’s life, exploring his early years, family background, net worth, career, and more.

Full Name	Virgil van Dijk
Date of Birth and age	8 July 1991 ( 32 years)
Birthplace	Breda, Netherlands
Height	6 ft 5 in (1.95 m)
Playing Positions	Centre Back
Star Sign	Cancer
Current Team	Liverpool
Jersey Number	4

Virgil van Dijk | Early Life

Virgil van Dijk was born in Breda, a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. Because of his father, he fell in love with the sport. He used to play with him whenever he got the opportunity to do so. Like many other players aspiring to be footballers, Virgil started out playing in an offensive role on the pitch. However, after a sudden growth spurt in his teens, he decided to switch to a more defensive role and use his newly acquired height as an advantage.

He was able to stop attacks by using his huge build as leverage against the opposing team. As time passed, he acquired the defending skills and was able to shut down attacks at his whim. He played at the Willem II Academy at a younger age, after which he moved to a bunch of clubs, finally settling down with Premier League side Southampton in 2015.

Virgil van Dijk | Family

Van Dijk was born to a Dutch father and a Suriname mother who also had Chinese roots. His father Ron van Dijk was a great influence in his life, both positively and negatively. He was the reason he fell in love with football as a sport and he was the reason that he worked harder than any other kid his age. Virgil’s father abandoned him and his mother. It caused him a great deal of trouble in his early life. This, however, strengthened him as a person and lit up the fire inside him to become successful.

Virgil doesn’t talk about the issues with his father much, but he has made it clear that he was single-handedly raised by his mother alone. He has two siblings, Jordan and Jennifer. They prefer to live a life away from all that spotlight their brother has achieved. Van Dijk married his childhood love Rike Nooitgedagt in 2017 and has four kids with her lovely wife.

Virgil van Dijk | Club Career

Groningen

Virgil van Dijk joined Groningen at a youth level however, he struggled to make it to the main team as the club’s staff thought he was “overtired” because of his playing days at Willem II. After being in the substitute and reserve ranks for some time, he finally got the opportunity to make his debut in May 2011. He came off the bench, substituting Petter Andersson in a 4-2 victory against AOD Den Haag. He also made his first starting debut against Den Hagg in the UEFA Europa League and scored his first-ever professional goal in the match.

During his time with Groningen, Van Dijk suffered from a life-threatening medical condition. He was diagnosed with kidney poisoning and peritonitis and needed immediate medical attention. He was able to make a successful recovery and bounce back much stronger than people had expected him to. His exceptional performances from that point grabbed the eyes of many teams that came for him.

Celtic

The next big destination for the now Liverpool star was the Scottish club Celtics. They signed Van Dijk for 2.6 million euros on a 4-year deal. He made his debut for the Scottish side in August of the 2013–14 season. His first start for the team came a week later and he scored his first goal for his new team on November 9. His great performances quickly turned him into a key player for the Scottish side, making him a defensive focal point.

Virgil Van Dijk’s time with the Celtics was cut short by his original contract tenure, he was scheduled to stay at the club for 4 years, however, after his team was knocked out of the UEFA Champions League, he started to consider his future in a new home. The time was right as Premier League team Southampton came knocking on the doors of the Scottish team.

Southampton

On September 1, 2015, Virgil van Dijk joined Premier League club Southampton under the coaching of Ronald Koeman. It was reported that Southampton had acquired the young defender for a hefty 13 million euros from the Scottish side. This huge amount made Van Dijk the second most expensive Dutch defender in the world after Jaap Stam. He made his debut for Ronald Koeman’s side on September 12 and, three weeks later, scored a beautiful header that marked his first-ever goal in the Premier League.

In his second season with the club, he was named as the team’s captain after the departure of Jose Fonte. Unluckily, on the same day, he suffered an ankle injury that ruled him out of the EFL Cup final against Manchester United. It was a big blow for his team as Southampton ended up losing the matchup. By this time, the bigger clubs in the league had started to show interest in Van Dijk. Liverpool was the most aggressive one among all as van Dijk himself had shown interest in the club. As time passed, it was quite evident that Van Dijk would be joining Liverpool. He had also filed a transfer request.

Liverpool

As people expected, Premier League giants Liverpool came for Virgil van Dijk. It was reported that the transfer took place for a hefty amount of 75 million euros. He made his debut for them on January 5, in the third round of the FA Cup. He scored the winning goal against Everton on his debut and started his career with a bang. Since then, he has become a key part of the club and will be remembered for his career there. He won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2019 after defeating Tottenham in the finals.

Van Dijk’s stellar performance in the 2018–19 season won him the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award. In the 2021–22 season, he won the EFL Cup after helping his team secure a win against Chelsea. He also won the Premier League in the 2019–20 season, helping Liverpool lift the trophy after 30 years. He was recently named captain of the Liverpool squad after the departure of Jordan Henderson. He is still playing for the club and hoping to get more titles before he decides to hang up his boots.

Virgil van Dijk | International Career

Virgil van Dijk received his first call-up to the national team in May 2010 in a friendly against U-19 South Korea. He made his debut for the U-21 team on November 14, 2011. He was selected for the senior squad three times in 2014 but did not make his debut that year. Instead, he was allowed to make his full national debut in 2015 in the 2016 UEFA Euro qualifier against Kazakhstan. He suffered an injury in the following years and was unable to participate in half of the 2016–17 World Cup qualifying matches. As a result, the Netherlands was unable to make it to the 2018 World Cup.

In 2018, he was given the captaincy of his national team and guided his country to the finals of the Nations League. Much to their disappointment, the Netherlands lost to Portugal in the finals. In the 2022 World Cup, he led his team to the top of the group stages. They qualified for the last 16 and went on to face Argentina in the quarterfinals. They eventually lost to them on penalties and Argentina went on to win the tournament.

Virgil van Dijk | Sponsors and Endorsements

Virgil van Dijk’s stellar performances during his time at Liverpool earned him an endorsement deal that many football players dream of. He was featured as the cover star for the football simulation game developed by EA Sports, FIFA 20. He also has an endorsement deal with the sportswear giant Nike. In 2022, he became an investor in Whoop, a smart-wearables company.

Virgil van Dijk | In Popular Culture

Virgil van Dijk has around 15.6 million followers on Instagram. He is quite up to date with the recent trends, but he hardly posts anything on his account. His ability to influence popular culture is still low, despite his huge following.

Virgil van Dijk | Records and Statistics

Team	Appearances	Goals	Assists
Groningen	66	7	5
Celtic	115	15	7
Southampton	80	7	0
Liverpool	248	21	14
Netherlands	64	7	0

Virgil van Dijk | Net Worth and Health

According to surprisesports.com, the estimated net worth of Virgil van Dijk is 42 million euros. As for his health, he has suffered some major injuries in the past but is healthy right now. He is still playing for Liverpool and making regular appearances in their games.

Virgil van Dijk | Cars and Tattoos

Virgin van Dijk is among the highest-paid footballers on the planet. His enormous wealth has also fulfilled his desire to have a great car collection. According to 21motoring.com VVD owns a Mercedes Benz G63 AMG, Range Rover Sport, Audi Q7, BMW 5 Series, Ferrari 488 Spyder, and a Land Rover Defender.

Virgil van Dijk does not have many visible tattoos on his body. The most prominent one though is his left arm, he has tattooed his entire left arm with hidden meanings dedicated to his family and more.

FAQs

1. How many clubs has Virgil van Dijk played for?

Virgil van Dijk has played for 4 clubs.

2. How old is Virgil van Dijk?

Virgil van Dijk is 32 years old.

3. Has Virgil van Dijk won the Champions League?

Yes, Virgil van Dijk has won the Champions League.

4. Has Virgil van Dijk ever won the Premier League?

Yes, Virgil van Dijk has won the Premier League.