Virgil van Dijk was born on 8 July 1991 and is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Liverpool and the Netherlands national team.
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Virgil van Dijk was born on 8 July 1991 and is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Liverpool and the Netherlands national team.
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Virgil Van Dijk was named PFA Players' Player of the Year and the Premier League Player of the Season in his first full season.
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Van Dijk is a former youth international for the Netherlands, representing his country at under-19 and under-21 levels.
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Virgil Van Dijk made his senior international debut for the Netherlands in 2015 and assumed full captaincy of the national team in March 2018.
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The following year, Van Dijk captained the Netherlands to the final of the inaugural UEFA Nations League, where they finished runners-up.
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Virgil Van Dijk combined his time playing at the Willem II academy with a part-time job as a dishwasher.
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Van Dijk initially struggled to break into Groningen's first team with club staff believing he was "overtired" after extensive playing time with Willem II's academy and reserve sides.
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Virgil Van Dijk suffered a personal setback during the campaign as soon after his 20th birthday he was admitted to hospital with peritonitis and kidney poisoning.
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Van Dijk later revealed that he had been close to dying as a result of the medical emergency and that the hospital had even gone so far as to ask him to sign a "sort of will" in the event of his passing.
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Virgil Van Dijk did return to Groningen and continued to impress the following season.
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Virgil Van Dijk was one of three Celtic players named in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year.
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Virgil Van Dijk was again shortlisted for the PFA Scotland Players' Player award, but lost out to another teammate, this time Stefan Johansen.
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On 7 May 2016, Van Dijk signed a new six-year contract with the Saints.
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On 7 August 2017, Van Dijk handed in a transfer request to Southampton and released a statement along with it, emphasising his wish to join a different club in the transfer window.
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Van Dijk played 22 games in all competitions in his first season with the club, scoring once.
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In October 2019, Van Dijk was shortlisted as one in 30 football players for the Ballon d'Or.
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Van Dijk received further recognition following the turn of the year, when he was named in the 2019 UEFA Team of the Year.
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On 12 September 2020, Van Dijk scored a headed goal against Leeds United on the opening day of the new season.
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Van Dijk made his first appearance in over nine months on 29 July 2021, coming on as a second-half substitute in a preseason friendly against Hertha BSC.
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On 13 August 2021, Van Dijk signed a new four-year contract, keeping him at the club until 2025.
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In May 2021, Van Dijk ruled himself out of playing in the postponed UEFA Euro 2020 to have enough time to recover after a long-term injury since October 2020.
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Van Dijk is a physically strong, right-footed centre-back, who usually features on the left-hand side of central defence, although he can play as a right-sided centre-back.
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Virgil Van Dijk is gifted with pace, good technique, and an eye for goal, and is an effective set-piece taker.
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Virgil Van Dijk was good on set-pieces, some of the free-kicks he scored for Celtic are absolute wonders.
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Virgil Van Dijk had an aura about him, a confidence, because I think he knew he was good.
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Virgil Van Dijk is very fast and big, but he has a lot of agility for his height.
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Virgil Van Dijk is fast because of its [sic] great stride, and he is impressive both in defence and attack because he scores lots of goals.
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