Virgil van Dijk

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7 Apr 2024

Virgil van Dijk

Van Dijk's journey back from injury reached a significant milestone on July 29, 2021, when he made his first appearance in over nine months, coming on as a second-half substitute in a pre-season friendly against Hertha BSC. This marked a crucial step in his rehabilitation process and signaled his return to competitive football.
On August 13, 2021, Van Dijk committed his future to Liverpool by signing a new four-year contract, extending his stay at the club until 2025. This contract extension demonstrated the club's faith in his abilities and his importance to their future plans.
In a poignant moment, Van Dijk scored his first goal for Liverpool in over 14 months against his former club Southampton, showcasing his aerial prowess with a well-taken volley from a corner.

Van Dijk's impact continued throughout the 2021-2022 season, culminating in a memorable triumph in the EFL Cup final on February 27, 2022. He played a crucial role in Liverpool's victory, scoring his penalty in the shoot-out against Chelsea after a goalless draw in normal time.
His performances throughout the season earned him recognition, as he was named in the Premier League PFA Team of the Year. Additionally, he played a pivotal role in Liverpool's journey to the UEFA Champions League final, where they finished as runners-up to Real Madrid. Van Dijk's consistent displays led to his inclusion in the Team of the Season for the prestigious European competition.

Despite narrowly missing out on achieving a historic quadruple, with Liverpool finishing as runners-up in both the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League, Van Dijk played an integral role in guiding the team to success in the EFL Cup and the FA Cup. His leadership, defensive prowess, and contributions on the pitch were instrumental in Liverpool's achievements during the 2021-2022 season. Liverpool suffered a rare home defeat at Anfield in the Premier League, losing 2-1 to Leeds United. This marked a significant milestone for Van Dijk, as it was his first home defeat in the league after 70 games since joining the club in January 2018. Despite the defeat, Van Dijk's overall performance throughout the season came under scrutiny, with criticism directed at him for several subpar displays.

However, Van Dijk quickly bounced back and showcased his defensive prowess in a match against Brentford. His commanding performance earned him the Man of the Match award by users of BBC Sport, highlighting his ability to regain form and lead the Liverpool defense effectively.
Despite Van Dijk's resurgence, Liverpool narrowly missed out on UEFA Champions League qualification at the end of the 2022-2023 season. This was a disappointment for the club and its fans, as they fell short of securing a coveted spot in Europe's premier club competition. Nonetheless, Van Dijk's contributions remained significant throughout the season, demonstrating his resilience and importance to the team's defensive stability.

On July 31, 2023, following Jordan Henderson's departure, Van Dijk was appointed as the new captain of Liverpool, assuming the leadership role for the club. However, his tenure as captain faced an early setback on August 27, when he received his first red card while playing against Newcastle United. The red card came as a result of a foul on Alexander Isak, and Van Dijk's reaction to the decision further compounded the situation. Initially, he refused to leave the pitch and directed abusive language towards the referee, John Brooks.
As a consequence of his actions, Van Dijk received a one-match ban for the red card incident. Additionally, he was handed an extra game suspension and fined £100,000 for his improper behavior towards the match official.

Despite this incident, Van Dijk continued to lead Liverpool on the field, and on February 25, 2024, he achieved a significant milestone as captain by winning his first trophy for the club. In the EFL Cup final against Chelsea, Van Dijk scored the decisive goal with a header in extra time, securing a 1-0 victory for Liverpool. His standout performance earned him the man of the match award, and he also received the Alan Hardaker Trophy for his contribution, becoming only the fourth player in history to win it twice, alongside John Terry, Vincent Kompany, and Ben Foster.

Van Dijk's journey with the Dutch national teams began on May 12, 2010, when he made his debut for the Netherlands U19 team in a friendly match against South Korea U19. He later progressed to the U21 team, making his debut on November 14, 2011, in a qualifying match against Scotland U21.
Despite being selected for the senior team three times in 2014, Van Dijk did not make his debut until October 10, 2015, in a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifier against Kazakhstan, which the Netherlands won 2-1. However, his debut was followed by a disappointing loss to the Czech Republic, leading to the team missing out on final qualification for the Euro 2016 tournament.
Van Dijk faced injury setbacks during the qualifying matches for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, causing him to miss several games. Ultimately, the Netherlands failed to qualify for the World Cup.

On March 22, 2018, Van Dijk was awarded the captaincy of the Dutch national team by manager Ronald Koeman. He scored his first international goal in a 3-0 win over Portugal on March 26 of the same year. Notably, he also scored crucial goals in the UEFA Nations League matches against Germany, helping the Netherlands win their group phase.
In May 2021, Van Dijk opted out of participating in the UEFA Euro 2020 to focus on recovering from a long-term injury sustained in October 2020.
In November 2022, Van Dijk was named the captain of the Dutch national team for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Under his leadership, the team performed well in the group stage, securing victories over Senegal and hosts Qatar. However, they were eliminated in the quarter-finals after a penalty shootout loss to Argentina, who eventually went on to win the tournament.