Non-stop efforts help the Dutch midfielder have a spectacular “transformation” like the present time.
Liverpool midfielder Virgil van Dijk once washed pots for 4 euros per hour at Breda’s Oncle Jean restaurant. The former Southampton player has a Surinamese mother and a Dutch father. Jacques Lips, the restaurant owner, once told Van Dijk to give up his dream of a career in shorts; Instead, focus on washing dishes.
Oncle Jean restaurant, where Van Dijk used to make a living.
When he first played football for Willem II club, Van Dijk often took on the right-back position. However, over the years, the Dutch star proved to be superior and showed his special qualities when he was pulled to play in the center of the defense.
Scene of Oncle Jean restaurant.
Van Djik had a remarkable physical development at the age of 16. “My first feeling about Van Dijk? That is a young player with many shortcomings. He did not practice for a long time due to injury. Therefore, the coaching staff used the first 6 months to help him get back to his best condition,” shared Dick Lukkien, coach of the Groningen reserve team.
Van Dijk joined FC Groningen before making a real move with Celtic.
In the summer of 2013, Van Dijk moved to Scottish football giant Celtic.
With his stable form and convincing performance, the Dutch star was voted the best player in the Premier League 2018/2019 according to the British Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA).
In the summer of 2015, the Premier League welcomed a talented midfielder when Van Dijk signed with Southampton for a fee of 13 million pounds.
He joined Liverpool in January 2018 for a record fee for a defender[9] and immediately brought the club to the UEFA Champions League final that season but lost to Real Madrid. In addition, Van Dijk was awarded voted PFA Player of the Year and Premier League Player of the Year for the 2018-19 season. Van Dijk once again joined Liverpool in the final of the UEFA Champions League season 2018-2019 and became the champion; and at the same time, with Liverpool won the Premier League runner-up with the highest score in the history of the tournament. .
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Van Dijk made his debut for the Dutch team in 2015 and became captain in 2018. In 2019, he scored his first goal for the Netherlands in a 3-0 win over European champions Portugal and three months later, he and his team reached the 2019 UEFA Nations League final but lost to Portugal. On December 2, 2019, he finished second in the race to win the Golden Ball, behind Lionel Messi with a narrow number of votes.
