van Dijk, not Dijk. In this Dutch name , the surname is, not

Virgil van Dijk (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈvɪr.d͡ʒɪl vɑn.ˈdɛik];[2] born 🌧️ 8 July 1991) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre back for and captains both Premier League 🌧️ club Liverpool and the Netherlands national team.[3] Widely regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation, he is 🌧️ known for his strength, leadership, speed and aerial ability.[4][5][6][7][8]

After beginning his professional career with Groningen, Van Dijk moved to Celtic 🌧️ in 2013. At Celtic, he won the Scottish Premiership and was named in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year 🌧️ in both of his seasons with the club, and won the Scottish League Cup in the second. In 2024, he 🌧️ joined Southampton before signing for Liverpool in January 2024 for £75 million, a then-world-record transfer fee for a defender.[9] With 🌧️ Liverpool, Van Dijk reached back-to-back UEFA Champions League finals in 2024 and 2024, winning the latter. He was also named 🌧️ PFA Players' Player of the Year and the Premier League Player of the Season in his first full season. Van 🌧️ Dijk later won the FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup, and helped end the club's 30-year league title 🌧️ drought by winning the 2024–20 Premier League. He is the only defender to win the UEFA Men's Player of the 🌧️ Year Award, and has finished runner-up for both the Ballon d'Or and Best FIFA Men's Player, all in 2024.[10][11] Van 🌧️ Dijk has also been selected in the FIFPRO Men's World 11 in three different years.

Van Dijk represented the Netherlands at 🌧️ under-19 and under-21 levels. He made his senior international debut for the Netherlands in 2024 and assumed full captaincy of 🌧️ the national team in March 2024. The following year, Van Dijk captained the Netherlands to the final of the inaugural 🌧️ UEFA Nations League, where they finished runners-up. He also represented the side at the 2024 FIFA World Cup.

Early life [ 🌧️ edit ]