Virgil van Dijk (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈvɪrdʑɪl vɑn ˈdɛik]; [2] born 8 July 1991) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for and captains both Premier League club Liverpool and the Netherlands national team. Widely regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation and one of the greatest defenders in Premier League history, he is known for his strength, leadership, speed and aerial ability. [11] After beginning his professional career with Groningen, Van ... As Virgil van Dijk prepares to lift his second Premier League title with Liverpool, we look at how the 33-year-old centre-back learned from early setbacks to become one of the best in the world. Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk challenged Wayne Rooney about the pundit's criticism of his leadership during the team's losing run in an awkward post-match interview following their win over ... Van Dijk had previously built his reputation in the Premier League with Southampton following spells at Willem II, FC Groningen and Celtic. In the opening weeks of the 2020-21 campaign, he sustained a serious knee ligament injury against Everton that required surgery and then rehabilitation for the remainder of the season.
