Virgil Van Dijk

Virgil van Dijk began his career at Willem II at age 8; however, he was released after his manager judged him to have “too many limitations” to break into the first‑team.

Groningen signed him on a free transfer at 19, and after a year in their youth setup he broke into the senior squad in 2011. During his time in Groningen he fell seriously ill and underwent a life‑saving operation, spending 13 days in hospital before making a full recovery.

Having impressed in 62 appearances for Groningen, potential moves to PSV, Ajax, Brighton & Hove Albion and FC Krasnodar fell through for various reasons. Van Dijk eventually joined Celtic in summer 2013 for a fee of £2.6 million. In Scotland he won the Scottish Premiership twice and the League Cup once, earning a reputation as the league’s outstanding defender.

Seeking a new challenge, he signed for Southampton in summer 2015 for £13 million. After just one season, he was named club captain, and his commanding Premier League performances drew interest from Europe’s elite.

In May 2017, Southampton formally complained that Liverpool had made an illegal approach for Van Dijk; a few weeks later, in August 2017, he submitted a public transfer request.

In December 2017, it was officially announced that van Dijk would join Liverpool in the January 2018 transfer window for a then–club‑record and world‑record fee for a defender of £75 million.

He marked his debut by heading the winner in a 2–1 FA Cup victory at Everton, and from that moment embarked on one of the most decorated defensive careers in Premier League history. He finished runner‑up in the 2019 Ballon d’Or, and in 2023 succeeded Jordan Henderson as Liverpool captain.