Virgil van Dijk, born on the 8th of July, 1991 (age 33), is a professional footballer who hails from the Netherlands. He has made a name for himself in the football world, primarily serving as a central defender for Liverpool. The Dutchman stands at a commanding height of 1.93m (6ft 3in) and weighs in at a solid 92 kg (14st 6lb). Donning the number 4 jersey, Van Dijk has also extensively represented his home country on the international stage.
Van Dijk's journey to top-flight football has been a steady climb. He began his professional career at FC Groningen in the Eredivisie, joining them in July 2010. During his debut season of 2010 - 2011, he made two first team appearances. The following season saw an increase in pitch-time, with Van Dijk making 23 first team appearances and adding three goals to his personal tally. Similarly, in the 2012 - 2013 season, he made 32 first team appearances and netted the ball twice.
In July 2013, the Dutchman transferred from FC Groningen to Celtic in the Scottish Premiership, a move that was worth around £2.6m. This was the beginning of a chapter of his career that would be fondly remembered by the Celtic faithful. In his inaugural 2013 - 2014 season at Celtic, Van Dijk made 36 first team outings and scored five goals. The 2014 - 2015 season was another productive one for the Dutchman as he made 35 first team appearances and found the back of the net four times. His final season, 2015 - 2016, was cut short as Van Dijk made a mid-season transfer, but he had made five league appearances for Celtic until that point.
Van Dijk transferred from Celtic to Southampton in the Premier League in September 2015 for a fee of around £12m. His two full seasons at Southampton saw him become a solid figure at St Mary's stadium, making a total of 55 league appearances and scoring four goals. Van Dijk's swansong for the Saints came in the 2017 - 2018 season, where he made 12 appearances before moving to his current club, Liverpool.
In January 2018, Van Dijk transferred to Liverpool. The Reds secured his services for the hefty price of £75m, a deal that would prove to be a bargain considering his impact at Anfield. Since his transfer, he has made a total of 202 first team appearances for the Reds and has contributed 18 goals. In the current season (2024 - 2025), Van Dijk continues to be a mainstay in Liverpool's defense, with 34 first team appearances to his name and two goals scored.
Aside from his club responsibilities, Van Dijk has also showcased his skills in major competitions such as the League Cup 2024 - 2025, where he scored a goal in three starts for Liverpool, Euro 2024, and Euro Qualifiers 2022 - 2024, where he netted once for the Netherlands. He also participated in the Europa League 2023 - 2024 for Liverpool and the Nations League 2024 - 2025 for the Netherlands. Van Dijk has also appeared in the Champions League 2024 - 2025 for Liverpool, where he scored once in nine starts.
