When it comes to central defenders in football, Virgil Van Dijk is as good as anyone and is
regarded as the benchmark for modern-day centre backs.
Rightly so, the Dutchman is very good with the ball but is also immaculate in defence.
His pace, technique and set piece ability all make up for a well-rounded football player.
The world’s most expensive defender in 2019 is a strong, intelligent, defensive man-mountain
who has a decent number of awards to his name.
He is the first Defender, Premier League player and Dutchman to win the UEFA Men’s Player
of The Year award after winning Liverpool’s sixth Champions League in 2019.
The former Celtic man’s heroics were also key in overhauling the fortunes of Liverpool’s
defence, culminating in a commanding title race as they finally won the Premier League
in 2019/20.
Van Dijk’s world would come crashing down in the defence of that title, as his gruesome
knee injury contributed to a disappointing campaign for the Reds.
It was a poorly-timed setback for a world class player at his peak.
The 30-year-old has since undergone his rehabilitation from ACL surgery and made a long-awaited return
after nine months (285 days) in a preseason friendly against Hertha Berlin.
To mark his personal milestone, we thought it was the best time to tell you 10 things
you probably didn't know about Virgil Van Dijk.
We’re sure you’ll enjoy this video and make sure you hit that like and subscribe
button alongside the bell icon right next to it.
What’s more to know about Van Dijk?
At number one, we’ll start with his origin.
He’s got Chinese links Van Dijk was born to a Dutch father and Surinamese
mother, and joins an elite list of Surinamese nationals who played for the Netherlands National
team, including Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf, Ruud Gullit and Patrick Kluivert among others.
VVD also has Chinese ancestry as his mother, Hellen Fo Sieeuw, is of part-Chinese descent.
Number 2 is a bit shocking and difficult to believe.
Believe it or not, Van Dijk has never been to an international tournament.
It is almost unthinkable to consider the fact that the 2019 PFA Player of The Year has never
played at the Euros or World Cup for the Netherlands, despite being 30.
He made his international debut in 2015 and didn’t make it to Euro 2016 as the Dutch
were missing from a major tournament for the first time since the 2002 World Cup.
That rot continued as they underwent a transition in the national team and also missed the 2018
World Cup in Russia.
However, the Netherlands captain is determined to lead his country in an international tournament
having scored twice in the Nations League, more than many top strikers in Europe.
Van Dijk would have been gutted to miss out on Euro 2020 having ruled himself out before
the tournament to be able to focus on the final stages of his recovery from ACL injury.
He did retain a non-playing role behind the scenes during the tournament as he trained
with his international teammates and offered backroom support within the dressing room.
The Reason behind ‘Virgil’: Van Dijk uses only his first name on his kit,
according to his uncle Steven.
Why is that?
Well, it’s because of a family feud with his father, Ron van Dijk who abandoned his
wife and her three children.
They were left with a lot of difficulties at a very young age and they haven't forgiven
their father.
“The truth is his dad was not around for so many important years and it is his mother
who is the real hero of this story", says his uncle.
Even though his dad reportedly tried to get in touch later, he and his family didn't want
to see him as their mother had to go through immense hardships to make ends meet.
Indeed, he has done well to repay his loving mother.
The defender proudly bears only his first name on his shirt for club and country.
One can say he has reached the light at the end of the tunnel that his mother always believed
in.
At number 4, we move on to our next exciting, if not surprising, fact about Van Dijk...
Van Dijk supported Barcelona as a child.
The Catalans have always had some of the best Dutch players of their generation.
The likes of Johann Cruyff, Ronald Koeman, and Frank de Boer are the top names but Van
Dijk was rather fascinated by Barcelona’s Brazillian legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho.
"I watched Barcelona a lot when I was younger, and not just for the Dutch players.
It is a beautiful club", the defender said in an interview while still playing for Celtic.
Could a move to Barcelona happen before his career ends?
We’ll have to see.
5.
Humble beginnings A young Virgil combined his time playing at
the Willem II academy with a part-time job as a dishwasher in a restaurant in his native
city of Breda.
It is a tempestuous journey which culminated in Van Dijk being one of the biggest names
in world football, the one-time Ballon d’Or runner-up has certainly gone full-circle in
his quest to reach the top.
Having previously featured as a right-back to limited success, Van Dijk was shifted into
a central defensive position in 2008, aged 17, after he grew in height by around 18 centimetres.
The rest, they say, is history.
It gets tougher at number six.
6.
Close to death It is safe to say that Van Dijk has been through
some of the toughest hardships in order to reach the pinnacle of the game.
Early on in his career, VVD was deemed too slow and small.
When he moved on to Groningen FC, he was hospitalized with a dangerous abdominal abscess and deadly
bacterial infection soon after his 20th birthday.
Till today, those scars still feature predominantly on his stomach.
Van Dijk reveals it was the darkest time of his life and his career, and he wasn't even
sure if he'd live.
The youngster was even forced to write a will to his mum but didn't disclose it publicly.
Fortunately, he lived through the suffering, and has since come a long way and made a claim
as one of the best defenders of his generation.
This list would not have been complete without a controversy or scandal, would it?
That takes us to number seven.
7.
Cheating Scandal Van Dijk’s wife Rike Nooitgedagt has been
with the player through thick and thin as they dated for many years before tying the
knot.
She was a successful fashion sales manager before giving up her job for Virgil as he
signed for Celtic in Scotland.
“I worked as a sales manager and sold different fashion brands to the stores in Holland.
I loved it but had to resign to follow my man everywhere football takes him to.
So far, we’ve been settling well and having adventures with our lovely dog,” stated
Rike in an interview.
However, the player was unfaithful during his time at Celtic as he was caught sending
messages and meeting up at a hotel with a model and ex-adult movie star.
The evidence and pictures of the meeting made for shocking viewing across the British media
but he quickly apologized to his family and fans while his reputation mostly remained
intact in the public.
8.
Tough decision with the birth of his first child
Virgil was expecting his baby daughter as Rike was due in September 2014 around the
same time the defender received his maiden senior call-up to the Dutch team.
Resolute to not miss two memorable firsts in his life and career, Van Dijk arranged
for a premature birth of the baby.
Many fans and the Netherland coach, Guus Hiddink, criticized that unnecessary decision despite
a smooth and successful birth.
Unfortunately, VVD was not selected for the match and had to wait till October 2015 for
his debut.
Good things come to those who wait, Virgil.
9.
The Liverpool vice-captain lived in the Manchester United Boss’s House
The defender lived in the house Ole Gunnar Solskjær bought in Cheshire in 2007, but
had to leave when Ole was appointed Man Utd’s permanent manager.
After his long playing and coaching stint at United, Solskjaer left the 3-4 acre big
luxury property behind in England as he failed to find a buyer for his house, and reportedly
rented it out to Van Dijk.
The Norwegian then stayed at the Lowry Hotel in the city centre in his first six months
in charge as caretaker boss.
Reports even say the player allegedly vandalized the house prior to vacating the property.
It is rather hard to believe given the defender’s class on and off the pitch.
For our last one, we’ll talk about his lucky charm.
10.
Superstition and Tattoos Footballers are full of superstitions and
good omens.
In keeping with the practice, Van Dijk has a secret as well.
He usually plays with long sleeves under his short sleeve shirt, even during the summer.
Hence, you might not have seen Virgil’s tattoo due to his long sleeves habit, but
there is a beautiful drawing on his left arm.
He got a tattoo inked in 2015 after a successful season with Celtic, and the body art features
a depiction of an eye, a clock and some roses.
There you have it!
How many of the above mentioned things did you know about Virgil Van Dijk before watching
this video?
Don't forget to give us a like and subscribe, you can also visit the comments section with
suggestions for our next video.
See you next time.