Virgil van Dijk, a formidable Dutch defender, was born on 8 July 1991 and as of present, is at the ripe age of 34. Hailing from the Netherlands, van Dijk finds himself as a stalwart central defender at Liverpool, towering over many at 6ft 3in (1.93m) and maintaining a robust weight of 14st 6lb (92kg). His number 4 jersey is revered by many in the footballing world due to his performances for both his club and the Dutch national team.
In July 2010, van Dijk debuted his football career with FC Groningen, an Eredivisie team in the Netherlands. Van Dijk's growth was incremental yet consistent. Making two first team appearances in the league during his season 2010-2011 debut, this figure rose to 23 in the subsequent 2011-2012 season, accompanied by three goals. In the 2012-2013 season at FC Groningen, van Dijk made an impressive 32 first team appearances, scoring two goals in league matches.
July 2013 marked a significant milestone in van Dijk's career as he was transferred to Celtic in the Scottish Premiership for a fee of around £2.6 million. His first season (2013-2014) at Celtic saw him make 36 first team appearances, marking his territory with five league goals. The following 2014-2015 season saw a continuation of his consistent performance with 35 first team appearances and four goals scored. However, his appearances for Celtic decreased sharply in the 2015-2016 season to just five.
September 2015 saw yet another promotion in van Dijk's career as he was transferred from Celtic to Southampton in the English Championship, for which he received a transfer fee of a notable £12 million. This move marked his foray into English football, and in his inaugural 2015-2016 season at Southampton, van Dijk made 34 first team appearances whilst scoring three goals. His performance in the next two seasons solidified his standing in the team, despite a decrease in his scoring rate.
A significant move came in January 2018 for van Dijk, with a transfer to Liverpool in the English Premier League, cementing his place to date in one of football's prestigious clubs with a whopping £75 million fee. His presence in Liverpool has been significant, with solid performances season after season with no signs of receding, scoring numerous goals whilst maintaining a solid defensive record.
Van Dijk has also represented his country, the Netherlands, on multiple occasions throughout the years. He participated in the World Cup Qualifiers Europe 2024-2026 scoring two goals in eight starts, Euro 2024, Euro Qualifiers 2022-2024 scoring one goal in eight starts, and the Nations League 2024-2025 with six starts. His European commitments extended to his club side as well, with him making appearances in the Europa League 2023-2024 and Champions League 2025-2026 for Liverpool, scoring two goals in four starts.
In the world of football, particularly in Liverpool, the number 4 jersey is synonymous with one name- Virgil van Dijk.
