Virgil van Dijk facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Virgil van Dijk

Van Dijk lining up for the Netherlands in 2016
Personal information
Date of birth	(1991-07-08) 8 July 1991 (age 33)
Place of birth	Breda, Netherlands
Height	1.95 m
Playing position	Centre-back
Club information
Current club	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	219	(19)
National team‡
2011	Netherlands U19	1	(0)
2011–2013	Netherlands U21	3	(0)
2015–	Netherlands	78	(9)
Honours Men's football Representing  Netherlands UEFA Nations League Runner-up 2019
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20:03, 25 January 2025 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 22:00, 16 November 2024 (UTC)

Virgil van Dijk (born 8 July 1991) is a Dutch professional football player. He plays as a centre-back and is the captain for both the Liverpool club 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 great ability to head the ball.

Virgil van Dijk started his professional career with Groningen. In 2013, he moved to Celtic. There, he won the Scottish Premiership twice and the Scottish League Cup. In 2015, he joined Southampton. Then, in January 2018, he signed with Liverpool for £75 million. This was a record fee for a defender at that time.

With Liverpool, Van Dijk played in two UEFA Champions League finals. He won the second one in 2019. He was also named the best player in the Premier League in his first full season. He later helped Liverpool win the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup. He also helped end the club's 30-year wait for a league title by winning the 2019–20 Premier League. He is the only defender to win the UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award. In 2019, he finished 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' under-19 and under-21 teams. 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 played for his country in the 2022 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2024.

Early Life and Football Beginnings

Virgil van Dijk was born in Breda, Netherlands, on July 8, 1991. His father is Dutch and his mother is from Suriname. He grew up in Kesteren, a district of Breda. He has a younger brother and sister.

As a child, Van Dijk played football everywhere. He played on the streets and in special concrete areas. He started in the youth team at WDS'19. At age 8, he joined Willem II. While playing at the Willem II academy, he also worked part-time as a dishwasher. He said he needed to work to earn money.

When he was 17, in 2008, Van Dijk grew taller by about 18 centimeters. He then switched from playing as a right-back to a central defender. Despite 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 Highlights

Starting at 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 too much with his old team. He made his first professional appearance on May 1, 2011. He came on as a substitute in a 4–2 win against ADO Den Haag. Later that month, he scored his first two professional goals in a 5–1 win against the same team.

In the 2011–12 Eredivisie season, Van Dijk played 23 league games. He scored his first regular-season goal in a 6–0 win over Feyenoord. During this season, he had a serious health issue. After his 20th birthday, he was hospitalized with appendicitis, peritonitis, and kidney poisoning. These problems were not found earlier by the club's medical staff. He had urgent surgery and spent 13 days in the hospital. He lost a lot of weight and could not walk for 10 days. He was very close to dying.

It took him several months to fully recover. In the summer of 2012, he returned to play. Even though the team had a mixed season, Van Dijk played very well as a central defender. In 2013, other clubs like PSV and Brighton were interested in him. But Van Dijk wanted to join a top Dutch club. He even contacted AFC Ajax himself, but they decided not to sign him.

Moving to Celtic

Success in Scotland

On June 21, 2013, Van Dijk signed a four-year deal with Celtic in Scotland. The fee was about £2.6 million. He made his first appearance on August 17, coming on as a substitute in a 2–0 win against Aberdeen. A week later, he started his first game. On November 9, he scored his first two goals for Celtic in a 4–1 win against Ross County.

He scored again on January 26, 2014, in a 4–0 win against Hibernian. This was Celtic's 11th league win in a row. Celtic won the league title that season. Van Dijk was chosen as one of the three Celtic players in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year. He was also nominated for the PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year award.

More Trophies with Celtic

Van Dijk playing for Celtic in 2015

On July 22, 2014, Van Dijk scored twice in a 4–0 home win in a UEFA Champions League qualifier. His first league goal of the season came on November 9, in a 2–1 win at Aberdeen. He scored two more goals in a 4–0 win against Heart of Midlothian in the Scottish Cup.

On February 26, 2015, he was sent off (given a red card) in a game against Inter Milan. Celtic lost that game. He was also sent off in a Scottish Cup quarter-final. However, his suspension for the Scottish League Cup final was overturned. He played the full game in the final, which Celtic won 2–0. On March 18, he scored in the last minute to help Celtic win 4–0 in a Cup replay.

On April 19, Celtic played in the Cup semi-final. Van Dijk scored the first goal from a free kick. But Celtic lost the game, ending their chance to win three trophies. His team won the league again. Van Dijk was again included in the league's Team of the Season. After Celtic was knocked out of the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League qualifiers, Van Dijk started thinking about leaving the club.

Joining Southampton

Premier League Debut

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

He played his first game for Southampton on September 12, a 0–0 draw against West Bromwich Albion. Two weeks later, he scored his first goal for the club. It was a header from a corner kick in a 3–1 home win over Swansea City. For his first season, his teammates and Southampton fans named him player of the year. On May 7, 2016, Van Dijk signed a new six-year contract with Southampton.

Captaincy and Transfer Interest

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

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

He stayed with Southampton for the start of the 2017–18 season. He made his first appearance since his injury on September 26. He came on as a substitute in a 1–0 win against Crystal Palace. His last game for Southampton was on December 13, 2017, a 4–1 loss to Leicester. After this, he was not included in the team due to rumors about his future.

Moving to Liverpool

Joining the Reds

Van Dijk with Liverpool in 2018

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

Van Dijk played his first game for Liverpool on January 5 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 the full 90 minutes in the 2018 UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid, which Liverpool lost 3–1. In his first season, Van Dijk played 22 games and scored one goal.

Winning the Champions League

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

On February 27, 2019, Van Dijk scored two goals in a 5–0 win against Watford. The next month, he scored one goal and assisted another in a 3–1 win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League. On April 20, 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 April 28, 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 June 1, Van Dijk was named UEFA's man of the match.

Premier League Title and Individual Awards

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 September 2, 2019, he was a finalist for the best FIFA football awards. On September 23, 2019, he was voted runner-up for The Best FIFA Men's Player and included in the FIFA FIFpro Men's World 11. In October 2019, he was nominated for the Ballon d'Or. He finished second behind Lionel Messi. Many people thought Van Dijk should have won because of his great performance and how he helped Liverpool win the Champions League.

On December 21, 2019, Van Dijk played in the final against Flamengo. Liverpool won the trophy for the first time in the club's history. He was also named in the 2019 UEFA Team of the Year. On January 19, 2020, Van Dijk scored his first goal against Manchester United in Liverpool's 2–0 win. He played every minute of every game for Liverpool in the 2019–20 season. Liverpool won the Premier League title, their first in 30 years.

Injury and Return

On September 12, 2020, Van Dijk scored a header against Leeds United. On October 17, he was injured in a game against Everton. He suffered an ACL injury in his right knee and needed surgery. He was expected to be out for six to twelve months. The surgery was successful. He decided to focus on his recovery so he could be fully fit for the next season.

Van Dijk played his first game in over nine months on July 29, 2021. He came on as a substitute in a friendly match. On August 13, 2021, he signed a new four-year contract with Liverpool. His first goal after his injury came against his old club, Southampton.

On February 27, 2022, Van Dijk helped Liverpool win the 2021–22 EFL Cup. He scored his penalty in the shoot-out against Chelsea. His performances in 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. But they won both the EFL Cup and the FA Cup.

Becoming Liverpool Captain

On October 29, 2022, Liverpool lost at home to Leeds United. This was Van Dijk's first home defeat in the Premier League at Anfield since joining the club in 2018. He was criticized for some games in the 2022–23 season. But he soon played well again and was voted Man of the Match against Brentford. Liverpool did not qualify for the UEFA Champions League that season.

On July 31, 2023, Van Dijk was named Liverpool's new captain. On August 27, he received his first red card for Liverpool. He was given an extra game ban and fined for arguing with the referee. On February 25, 2024, he won his first trophy as Liverpool captain. He scored the only goal in extra time to win the EFL Cup final against Chelsea. He was named man of the match and won the Alan Hardaker Trophy for the second time.

In December 2024, Van Dijk played his 290th game for Liverpool. He became the first Liverpool player to reach 200 wins in under 300 games.

International Career for the Netherlands

Youth and Senior Team Debuts

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

He was chosen for the Netherlands senior squad three times in 2014. But he did not play his first game until October 10, 2015. The Netherlands won 2–1 against Kazakhstan in a Euro 2016 qualifier. Three days later, they lost to the Czech Republic, which meant the Netherlands would not qualify for UEFA Euro 2016. He played in six of the ten games in their unsuccessful 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign.

Captain and Major Tournaments

Van Dijk became the captain of his country on March 22, 2018. He led the team for the first time in a 1–0 loss to England. On March 26, he scored his first international goal in a 3–0 win over Portugal. On October 13, he scored in a 3–0 win over Germany in the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League A. On November 19, he scored a goal in the 91st minute to draw 2–2 with 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 fully 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 against Argentina, Van Dijk took the first penalty kick in the shootout. It was saved, and the Netherlands lost 4–3. In June 2023, he captained the team in the 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals. On May 29, 2024, Van Dijk was named in the Netherlands' squad for UEFA Euro 2024.

How Virgil van Dijk Plays

Van Dijk is a strong, right-footed centre-back. He usually plays on the left side of the central defense. He is fast, has good technique, and can score goals. He is also good at taking free kicks. His former Celtic teammate, Kris Commons, said Van Dijk was "comfortable on the ball" and had "good technique." He also noted Van Dijk's strong leadership.

Neil McGuinness, a scout who helped sign Van Dijk for Celtic, called him "everything you would want" in a central defender. He praised Van Dijk as a "very smooth ball-playing defender" who is good in the air and from set pieces. He also has "strong leadership qualities." McGuinness believes Van Dijk has improved his awareness and timing since moving to England.

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." Messi added that Van Dijk is "very fast and big, but he has a lot of agility for his height." He also said Van Dijk is impressive in both defense and attack because he scores many goals.

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 center-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."

Van Dijk has said 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.

Personal Life

Virgil van Dijk often uses only his first name on his football kit. This is due to personal family reasons. He has said that the exact reason is private and "nobody's business."

Van Dijk met his wife, Rike Nooitgedagt, when he was 20 years old. They got married in the summer of 2017. The couple had their first child in 2014. 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

Awards and Achievements

Celtic

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

Liverpool

• Premier League: 2019–20
• FA Cup: 2021–22
• EFL Cup: 2021–22, 2023–24
• 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

• 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

Images for kids

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  Van Dijk lining up for the Netherlands in 2016

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  Van Dijk with Groningen in 2011

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  Van Dijk playing for Celtic in 2015

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  Van Dijk with Liverpool in 2018

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  Van Dijk playing for Liverpool in the 2019 UEFA Super Cup

See also

In Spanish: Virgil van Dijk para niños