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Virgil van Dijk

Football · Central Defender

Virgil van Dijk

Dutch central defender Virgil van Dijk captained Liverpool to Champions League and Premier League titles and was named UEFA Men's Player of the Year in 2019.

NetherlandsLiverpool FC Active

Biography

Born in Breda to a Dutch father and a Surinamese mother, Virgil van Dijk overcame health challenges early in his development before making his senior debut with Groningen in 2011. In 2013, he signed for Scottish champions Celtic, capturing two league titles before moving south to Southampton, where his aerial command and composure in possession earned widespread acclaim. In January 2018, Liverpool signed Van Dijk for a world-record fee for a defender. His arrival immediately transformed Liverpool's defense into the stoutest in Europe. In 2018-19, Van Dijk did not allow a single player to dribble past him across 64 appearances for club and country, leading Liverpool to their sixth UEFA Champions League triumph and earning the UEFA Men's Player of the Year award, as well as finishing runner-up for the 2019 Ballon d'Or. The following year, he spearheaded Liverpool's 2019-20 Premier League title win. In 2023, Van Dijk was named Liverpool captain, continuing to marshal the defense with authority. He also captains the Netherlands national team, leading the Oranje to the Euro 2024 semi-finals.

Career timeline

  1. Celtic FC

    2013 – 2015 · Won two Scottish Premiership titles

  2. Southampton FC

    2015 – 2018 · Player of the Season in 2015-16

  3. Liverpool FC

    2018 – present · Club captain; won Champions League and Premier League

  4. Netherlands national football team

    2015 – present · Captain of the Oranje

Major achievements

  • UEFA Men's Player of the Year2018-19
  • UEFA Champions League winner2019
  • Premier League champion2020
  • PFA Players' Player of the Year2018-19
  • Premier League Player of the Season2018-19
  • FIFA Club World Cup winner2019

Personal life & family

Relationship

Rike Nooitgedagt

Spouse (m. 2017)

Children

Nila van Dijk, Jada van Dijk

Van Dijk married his childhood sweetheart Rike Nooitgedagt in the summer of 2017. Rike gave up her job as a fashion sales manager to support Virgil career when he moved to Celtic. They have two daughters, Nila (born 2014) and Jada (born 2016).

Sources

  1. Virgil van Dijk — Wikipedia (accessed 2 November 2026)
  2. Liverpool F.C. — Wikipedia (accessed 2 November 2026)
  3. Netherlands national football team — Wikipedia (accessed 2 November 2026)