Virgil van Dijk
Centre-Back · Liverpool · Netherlands
About Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk is widely regarded as the finest defender of his generation, prized for his aerial command, composure in possession and reading of the game. Southampton (ENG) turned him into one of Europe's most coveted centre-backs, and Liverpool (ENG) paid a then-world-record £75 million to sign him in January 2018.
Virgil van Dijk's story
Breda, Groningen and a Shirt With No Surname
Van Dijk grew up in Breda, where his father left the family when he was 11 — the reason he carries only his first name, "Virgil", on the back of his shirt rather than a surname. Coaches at FC Groningen, including Martin Koeman, spotted his potential and gave him his professional debut in 2010, three years before Celtic came calling.
The £75 Million World Record
Celtic, then Southampton, established him as one of Europe's most coveted centre-backs. Liverpool paid a then-world-record £75 million to sign him in January 2018, a fee that looked audacious at the time and is now widely regarded as one of the shrewdest pieces of transfer business of the era.
The Anfield Standard
At Liverpool, van Dijk set a new standard for what a Premier League centre-back could be. His early partnership with Joe Gomez helped deliver the 2019-20 title, and since 2021 his pairing with Ibrahima Konate has anchored the defence through the club's most successful period in 30 years. He succeeded Jordan Henderson as club captain in 2023.
Still Central to the Plan
Now into his ninth season at Anfield, van Dijk has been closely involved with the club's new coaching setup through pre-season 2026, still first-choice at the back despite reports questioning his long-term future at the club.
Did you know?
- 🏆 Finished runner-up to Lionel Messi in the 2019 Ballon d'Or — a remarkable achievement for a defender and the highest ranking by a centre-back in the award's history.
- ⭐ The only defender ever to win the UEFA Men's Player of the Year award, taking the 2018-19 prize ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
- 👨👩👧👦 Married to Rike Nooitgedagt, a childhood friend from Breda, since 2017; they have four children — daughters Nila, Jadi and Noa, and son Mase.
- 🥇 Also won the PFA Players' Player of the Year and Premier League Player of the Season awards in 2018-19, completing a clean sweep of England's three major individual honours in a single campaign.
- 🌍 Named in the FIFPRO World11 five times: 2019, 2020, 2022, 2024 and 2025.
- 🤝 An ambassador for the Johan Cruyff Foundation; he opened a Cruyff Court for children with special educational needs at a school in Lancashire, having played on one himself growing up in Breda.
- 🎪 Introduced Liverpool's pre-match team huddle after being made club captain in 2023, a routine he first picked up during his time at Celtic.
- 🇳🇱 After breaking the Netherlands captaincy appearance record in November 2025, he indicated the 2026 World Cup was likely to be his last major tournament for the national team, stopping short of confirming international retirement.
- 💰 Southampton signed him from Celtic for around £11.5 million in September 2015 — a fraction of the £75 million Liverpool paid two and a half years later.
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