Virgil van Dijk facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Virgil van Dijk

Van Dijk with the Netherlands in 2016
Personal information
Full name	Virgil van Dijk
Date of birth	(1991-07-08) 8 July 1991 (age 34)
Place of birth	Breda, Netherlands
Height	1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)
Position(s)	Centre-back
Team information
Current team	Liverpool
Number	4
Youth career
	WDS'19
1999–2010	Willem II
2010–2011	Groningen
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2011–2013	Groningen	62	(7)
2013–2015	Celtic	76	(9)
2015–2018	Southampton	67	(4)
2018–	Liverpool	234	(21)
International career‡
2011	Netherlands U19	1	(0)
2011–2013	Netherlands U21	3	(0)
2015–	Netherlands	82	(10)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Netherlands UEFA Nations League Runner-up 2019
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:09, 10 June 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:33, 10 June 2025 (UTC)

Virgil van Dijk (born 8 July 1991) is a Dutch professional footballer. He plays as a centre-back and is the captain for both the club Liverpool and the Netherlands national team. Many people think he is one of the best defenders of his time. He is known for his strength, leadership, speed, and amazing ability to win balls in the air.

Virgil started his professional career with Groningen. In 2013, he moved to Celtic in Scotland. There, he won the Scottish Premiership twice and the Scottish League Cup. In 2015, he joined Southampton. In January 2018, he signed with Liverpool for a very large fee. This made him the most expensive defender in the world at that time.

With Liverpool, Van Dijk played in two UEFA Champions League finals, winning in 2019. He was also named the best player in the Premier League in his first full season. He helped Liverpool win the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup. He also helped the club win the 2019–20 Premier League, which was their first league title in 30 years. He is the only defender to win the UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award. In 2019, he was second for both the Ballon d'Or and Best FIFA Men's Player awards. He has also been chosen for the FIFPRO Men's World 11 four times.

Van Dijk played for the Netherlands at under-19 and under-21 levels. He first played for the senior national team in 2015. He became the full captain in March 2018. In 2019, he led the Netherlands to the final of the first UEFA Nations League, where they finished second. He also captained his team to the quarter-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 2024.

Early Life and Youth Career

Virgil van Dijk was born in Breda, Netherlands. His father is Dutch, and his mother is from Suriname. His mother's family has Chinese roots from Suriname. Virgil has a younger brother and sister.

He grew up in a part of Breda called Kesteren. His father left the family when Virgil was 11 years old. Virgil lived with his father for a short time before choosing to go back to his mother. After that, his father stopped contact.

As a child, he played football everywhere. He played on the streets, in concrete cages, and in Saturday morning matches. He started in the youth team at WDS'19. Then, at age 8, he joined Willem II. While at Willem II, he also worked part-time as a dishwasher. He said he knew he needed to work to earn money.

When he was 17, in 2008, Van Dijk grew about 18 centimeters taller. He then moved from playing right-back to a central defensive position. Even with his growth and new position, Willem II did not offer him a professional contract. They thought he had "too many limitations." So, in 2010, at age 19, he moved to Groningen for free. He was scouted by former Dutch player Martin Koeman.

Club Career

Playing for Groningen

Van Dijk with Groningen in 2011

When Van Dijk first joined Groningen, it was hard for him to get into the main team. Club staff thought he was "overtired" from playing a lot with Willem II's youth teams. He played his first professional game on 1 May 2011. He came on as a substitute in a 4–2 win. On 29 May, he started his first game and scored his first two professional goals in a 5–1 win.

In the 2011–12 Eredivisie season, Van Dijk played 23 league games. He scored his first regular season goal in a big 6–0 win. However, he faced a serious health issue that season. Soon after his 20th birthday, he was rushed to the hospital. He had severe appendicitis, peritonitis, and kidney poisoning. The doctors at Groningen and the local hospital had not noticed these problems earlier. Van Dijk had an urgent surgery that saved his life. He stayed in the hospital for 13 days, lost a lot of weight, and could not walk for 10 days. He was so close to dying that the hospital even asked him to sign a "sort of will."

It took him a few months to get completely better. In the summer of 2012, he returned to the team. Even though the club had a difficult season, Van Dijk played very well in defense.

In 2013, Van Dijk was considered by PSV, another top Dutch club, but they chose a different player. He also turned down offers from other clubs because he wanted to join a top Dutch team. He even tried to join Ajax, but they decided not to sign him.

Time at Celtic

2013–14 Season

On 21 June 2013, Van Dijk signed a four-year deal with Celtic in Scotland. The transfer fee was about £2.6 million. He played his first game on 17 August, coming on as a substitute in a 2–0 win. A week later, he started his first game. On 9 November, he scored his first two goals for Celtic in a 4–1 win. He scored again on 26 December after a great solo run.

On 26 January 2014, Van Dijk scored in a 4–0 win, helping Celtic get their 11th league win in a row. On 25 February, he was sent off (given a red card) in a game Celtic lost 2–1. This was Celtic's first loss of the season. Celtic had already won the league, but Van Dijk scored again on 7 May in a 3–3 draw. He was chosen as one of the best players in the league for the PFA Scotland Team of the Year.

2014–15 Season

Van Dijk playing for Celtic in 2015

On 22 July 2014, Van Dijk scored two goals in a 4–0 win in a UEFA Champions League qualifier. This helped Celtic move to the next round. His first league goal of the season came on 9 November in a 2–1 win. Three weeks later, he scored two goals in a 4–0 win in the Scottish Cup. A few days after that, he scored his sixth goal of the season in a home game.

Van Dijk scored again on 21 January 2015 in a 4–0 win. On 26 February, he was sent off in a game against Inter Milan in the UEFA Europa League. Celtic lost that game. On 8 March, he was sent off again in a Cup quarter-final. His ban for the Scottish League Cup final was later removed after an appeal. Van Dijk played the whole final, which Celtic won 2–0. On 18 March, he scored in the last minute of a Cup replay, confirming a 4–0 win.

On 19 April, Celtic played in the Cup semi-final. Van Dijk scored with a free kick. However, Celtic lost the game, ending their chance to win three trophies that season. Three days later, he scored again from a free kick in a 2–1 win. His team won the league again, and Van Dijk was again named in the league's Team of the Season.

After Celtic was knocked out of the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League qualifiers, Van Dijk was thinking about leaving the club.

Moving to Southampton

2015–16 Season

On 1 September 2015, Van Dijk signed a five-year contract with Premier League club Southampton. The transfer fee was about £13 million. This made him the most expensive Dutch defender since Jaap Stam in 2001.

He played his first game for Southampton on 12 September in a 0–0 draw. Two weeks later, he scored his first goal for the club with a header in a 3–1 win. He was named player of the year by both his teammates and the fans for his first season. On 7 May 2016, Van Dijk signed a new six-year contract with Southampton.

2016–17 Season

On 22 January 2017, he became the captain of Southampton. On the same day, he got an ankle injury. This injury meant he could not play in the 2017 EFL Cup final, which Southampton lost.

After a great season in 2016–17, many top English clubs were interested in Van Dijk. Chelsea, Manchester City, and Liverpool all wanted to sign him. Liverpool even apologized to Southampton for trying to sign him without permission. On 7 August 2017, Van Dijk officially asked to leave Southampton. He said he wanted to join a different club.

2017–18 Season

Van Dijk stayed with Southampton for the start of the 2017–18 season. He played his first game since his injury on 26 September. He came on as a substitute in a 1–0 win. His last game for Southampton was on 13 December 2017, in a 4–1 loss. After that, he was not included in the team's games because of all the talk about his future.

Van Dijk with Liverpool in 2018

Joining Liverpool

2017–18 Season

On 27 December 2017, it was announced that Van Dijk would join Liverpool on 1 January 2018. The transfer fee was reported to be £75 million. This was a world record fee for a defender at the time. His old club, Celtic, also received 10% of this fee.

Van Dijk played his first game for Liverpool on 5 January in the FA Cup. He scored the winning goal with a header in a 2–1 victory against local rivals Everton. He was the first player since 1901 to score in his first Merseyside derby game. Van Dijk and Dejan Lovren formed a strong partnership in Liverpool's defense. Many people said Van Dijk greatly improved Liverpool's defense. He was included in the UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season. He played all 90 minutes in the 2018 UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid, which Liverpool lost 3–1. In his first season with Liverpool, Van Dijk played 22 games and scored one goal.

2018–19 Season

Virgil van Dijk with Liverpool in 2019

Van Dijk won the Liverpool Player of the Month award for August. On 2 December, he helped set up the winning goal in a derby match against Everton. Liverpool won 1–0. He was named the PFA Player of the Month for November 2018. On 21 December, Van Dijk scored his first Premier League goal for Liverpool in a 2–0 win. He continued his great form by winning the Premier League Player of the Month for December 2018.

On 27 February 2019, Van Dijk scored two goals in a 5–0 win. The next month, he scored one goal and assisted another in a 3–1 win against Bayern Munich in the Champions League. On 20 April, he was one of six players nominated for the PFA Players' Player of the Year award. Four days later, he was named in the PFA Team of the Year. On 28 April 2019, he won the PFA Players' Player of the Year award. After Liverpool's 2–0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the 2019 UEFA Champions League final on 1 June, Van Dijk was named the best player of the match by UEFA.

2019–20 Season

Van Dijk playing for Liverpool in the 2019 UEFA Super Cup

In August 2019, Van Dijk won the UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award. On 2 September 2019, he was one of the top three players for the best FIFA football awards. On 23 September 2019, he was voted second for The Best FIFA Men's Player and included in the FIFA FIFpro Men's World 11. In October 2019, Van Dijk was nominated for the Ballon d'Or. In December, he finished second behind Lionel Messi. Many people thought Van Dijk should have won because of his amazing season. On 21 December 2019, Van Dijk played in the final against Flamengo. Liverpool won the trophy for the first time in the club's history.

Van Dijk was also named in the 2019 UEFA Team of the Year. On 19 January 2020, he scored his first goal against Manchester United in Liverpool's 2–0 win. During the 2019–20 season, Van Dijk played every minute of every league game for Liverpool. Liverpool won the Premier League title that season, which was their first top-flight title in 30 years.

2020–21 Season

On 12 September 2020, Van Dijk scored a header against Leeds United on the first day of the new season. On 17 October, he had to leave a game early after a challenge from the Everton goalkeeper. The next day, it was announced that he had a serious knee injury (an ACL injury). He needed surgery and was expected to be out for six to twelve months. On 30 October, his surgery was successful. He decided to take his time to recover fully so he could start the next season in top shape.

2021–22 Season

Van Dijk played his first game in over nine months on 29 July 2021, in a friendly match. On 13 August 2021, he signed a new four-year contract with Liverpool, keeping him at the club until 2025. His first goal for Liverpool in over a year came against his old club, Southampton.

On 27 February 2022, Van Dijk helped Liverpool win the 2021–22 EFL Cup. He scored his penalty in the shoot-out after the game ended in a draw.

His great performances during the 2021–22 season earned him a spot in the Premier League PFA Team of the Year. Liverpool finished second in the Premier League and the Champions League. However, they won both the EFL Cup and the FA Cup.

2022–23 Season

On 29 October 2022, Liverpool lost 2–1 at home to Leeds United. This was Van Dijk's first home defeat at Anfield in the Premier League since joining the club in January 2018, after 70 games. Some people criticized Van Dijk's performances that season. However, he soon returned to his strong defensive form. At the end of the 2022–23 season, Liverpool just missed out on qualifying for the UEFA Champions League.

2023–24 Season

On 31 July 2023, Van Dijk was named Liverpool's new captain. On 27 August, he received his first red card for Liverpool after a foul. He initially refused to leave the field and used bad language towards the referee. He was given an extra game ban and fined £100,000 for his actions. On 25 February 2024, he won his first trophy as Liverpool captain. He scored the only goal in extra time in a 1–0 win over Chelsea in the EFL Cup final. He was named man of the match and won the Alan Hardaker Trophy for the second time.

2024–25 Season

Van Dijk entered the last season of his contract with Liverpool. On 21 October, it was reported that he began talks with the club about a new deal. In December 2024, in his 290th game for Liverpool, a 1–0 win, Van Dijk became the first Liverpool player to reach 200 wins in under 300 games.

On 17 April 2025, Van Dijk signed a new two-year contract extension, staying at Liverpool even longer.

International Career

Youth Teams

On 12 May 2010, Van Dijk played his first game for the Netherlands U19 team. On 14 November 2011, he made his debut for the Netherlands U21 team.

Senior National Team

Van Dijk was chosen for the Netherlands senior squad three times in 2014. However, he did not play his first game until 10 October 2015. The Netherlands won that game 2–1. Three days later, he played in a 3–2 loss, which meant the Netherlands would not qualify for UEFA Euro 2016. He played in six of the Netherlands' ten games during their unsuccessful 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification.

Van Dijk was made captain of his country by manager Ronald Koeman on 22 March 2018. He led the team for the first time the next day in a 1–0 loss to England. On 26 March, he scored his first international goal in a 3–0 win over Portugal. On 13 October, he scored in a 3–0 win over Germany in the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League. On 19 November, he scored a goal in the 91st minute to make it a 2–2 draw against Germany. This helped the Netherlands qualify from their Nations League group. In June 2019, Van Dijk captained the Netherlands at the 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals. They finished second after losing 1–0 to Portugal in the final.

In May 2021, Van Dijk decided not to play in the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament. He wanted to have enough time to recover from his long-term injury.

In November 2022, Van Dijk was announced as the Dutch captain for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He led his team to win their group. In the quarter-final match against Argentina, Van Dijk took the first penalty kick in the penalty shootout. The Argentine goalkeeper saved it, and the Dutch lost 4–3.

In June 2023, Van Dijk was part of the Netherlands' team for the 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals. He captained the team in both their semi-final and third-place play-off matches.

On 29 May 2024, Van Dijk was named in the Netherlands' squad for UEFA Euro 2024.

How He Plays

Van Dijk is a strong, right-footed centre-back. He usually plays on the left side of the central defense, but he can also play on the right. He is fast, has good technique, and can score goals. He is also very good at taking free kicks. His former Celtic teammate, Kris Commons, said Van Dijk was "comfortable on the ball" and had "good technique and a wonderful right foot." He also noted that Van Dijk was good at reading the game and had a lot of confidence.

Neil McGuinness, a scout who helped sign Van Dijk for Celtic, called him "everything you would want if you could create a profile of the ideal central defender." He praised Van Dijk as a "very smooth ball-playing defender" who is good in the air and has "strong leadership qualities." McGuinness also said that since moving to England, Van Dijk has become "more tactically aware."

In 2019, Lionel Messi was asked why Van Dijk was so hard to beat. Messi said: "He is a defender who knows how to judge his timing and wait for the right moment to challenge or jockey [the attacker]. He is very fast and big, but he has a lot of agility for his height."

Paul Merson described Van Dijk as "the best in the world, and I think by a long way, as a defensive centre-half." In 2020, Vincent Kompany called Van Dijk the best centre-back to ever play in the Premier League. He said Liverpool was "a completely different setup" before and after Van Dijk joined. In 2022, Erling Haaland named Van Dijk the best defender he has played against. He called him "fast, strong and 'bad' smart."

In 2024, Van Dijk shared that his favorite childhood team was Barcelona. His biggest inspiration as a defender was AC Milan's center back Alessandro Nesta. He also named Ronaldinho as his favorite player of all time. Ronaldinho, in turn, called Van Dijk the best defender of his generation.

Sponsorship

Van Dijk was featured on the cover of the Champions Edition of EA Sports' FIFA video game FIFA 20. He is sponsored by the sportswear company Nike.

Personal Life

Van Dijk often uses only his first name on his football kit. According to his uncle, this is because of a family disagreement with his father. His father left the family when Virgil was a child.

Van Dijk met his wife, Rike Nooitgedagt, in 2011. They got married in the summer of 2017. Their first child was born in 2014, and they now have four children.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Netherlands score listed first, score column indicates score after each Van Dijk goal.

List of international goals scored by Virgil van Dijk

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref.
1	26 March 2018	Stade de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland	18	Portugal	3–0	3–0	Friendly
2	13 October 2018	Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands	22	Germany	1–0	3–0	2018–19 UEFA Nations League A
3	19 November 2018	Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen, Germany	24	Germany	2–2	2–2	2018–19 UEFA Nations League A
4	21 March 2019	De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands	25	Belarus	4–0	4–0	UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
5	11 October 2021	De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands	42	Gibraltar	1–0	6–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
6	25 September 2022	Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands	49	Belgium	1–0	1–0	2022–23 UEFA Nations League A
7	16 October 2023	Agia Sophia Stadium, Athens, Greece	62	Greece	1–0	1–0	UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying
8	6 June 2024	De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands	67	Canada	4–0	4–0	Friendly
9	10 June 2024	De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands	68	Iceland	2–0	4–0	Friendly
10	10 June 2025	Euroborg, Groningen, Netherlands	82	Malta	3–0	8–0	2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

Awards and Trophies

Van Dijk with the Premier League trophy at Liverpool's title-winning parade in 2025.

With Celtic:

• Scottish Premiership: 2013–14, 2014–15
• Scottish League Cup: 2014–15

With Liverpool:

• Premier League: 2019–20, 2024–25
• FA Cup: 2021–22
• EFL Cup: 2021–22, 2023–24; runner-up: 2024–25
• FA Community Shield: 2022
• UEFA Champions League: 2018–19; runner-up: 2017–18, 2021–22
• UEFA Super Cup: 2019
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2019

Individual Awards:

• PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2018–19
• PFA Team of the Year: 2018–19 Premier League, 2019–20 Premier League, 2021–22 Premier League, 2023–24 Premier League
• Premier League Player of the Season: 2018–19
• Premier League Player of the Year by Northwest Football Awards: 2019
• Alan Hardaker Trophy: 2022, 2024
• UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award: 2018–19
• UEFA Champions League Defender of the Season: 2018–19
• UEFA Team of the Year: 2018, 2019, 2020
• UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20
• UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2021–22
• UEFA Nations League Finals Team of the Tournament: 2019
• Liverpool Fans' Player of the Season Award: 2018–19
• Liverpool Players' Player of the Season Award: 2018–19
• Southampton Player of the Season: 2015–16
• PFA Scotland Team of the Year: 2013–14, 2014–15
• Celtic Players' Player of the Year: 2013–14
• FIFA FIFPRO World 11: 2019, 2020, 2022, 2024
• IFFHS Men's World Team: 2019, 2020, 2022
• Sports Illustrated Premier League Team of the Decade: 2010–2019
• IFFHS World Team of the Decade: 2011–2020
• IFFHS UEFA Team of the Decade: 2011–2020
• ESM Team of the Year: 2018–19, 2019–20, 2021–22, 2023–24
• Football Supporters' Federation Player of the Year: 2019
• The Athletic European Men's Team of the Season: 2024–25
• The Athletic Premier League Team of the Season: 2024–25
• Premier League Fan Team of the Season: 2024–25

See also

In Spanish: Virgil van Dijk para niños