Virgil van Dijk profile: Liverpool’s new £75m signing

After one of the most drawn-out and contentious transfer pursuits in the club’s history, Liverpool finally have their man.

All-too-aware of his team’s long-standing need for a top class central defender, Jurgen Klopp never entertained any other option as the best man for the job.

Virgil van Dijk will officially join the Liverpool squad on Monday after the Reds shelled out £75million to sign him from Southampton.

Virgil van Dijk with girlfriend Rike Nooitgedagt during his time as a Celtic player. The star’s upward trajectory has continued with his world record Liverpool deal

Liverpool have completed the £75million signing of Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk 

Liverpool have completed the £75million signing of Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk 

Van Dijk joins from Southampton after a long and contentious transfer saga this year

Van Dijk joins from Southampton after a long and contentious transfer saga this year

The defender gets the better of Manchester United's Paul Pogba during a match last season

The defender gets the better of Manchester United’s Paul Pogba during a match last season

If the transfer fee – a world record for a defender – appears eye-watering, then it doesn’t take too long to figure out why Liverpool have willingly paid it.

Their leaky defence has been the ying to the yang of their free-scoring attack for most of Klopp’s two-and-a-bit year tenure at Anfield.

Many would argue the problems existed during the time of Brendan Rodgers prior to that, perhaps since the retirement of Jamie Carragher back in 2013.

In Klopp’s time, they have thrown away 43 Premier League points from winning positions in matches and have conceded 36 goals from set-pieces, far more than any of their top six acquaintances.

So there’s really little wonder they have signed Van Dijk, the man who tops the league rankings for aerial battles won in the time since he made his Southampton debut at West Brom on September 12, 2015.

A young Van Dijk pictured in the colours of Groningen, his first professional club in Holland

A young Van Dijk pictured in the colours of Groningen, his first professional club in Holland

Van Dijk (right) wasted little time in establishing himself as a commanding presence at the club

Van Dijk (right) wasted little time in establishing himself as a commanding presence at the club

The central defender in action for Groningen against Ajax during the 2011-12 campaign

The central defender in action for Groningen against Ajax during the 2011-12 campaign

He’s won 321 aerial contests to be precise, some 28 more than Bournemouth’s Steve Cook, the second-highest ranked, and 95 more than Dejan Lovren, his new central defensive partner.

In that same time frame, Van Dijk ranks eighth in the Premier League list for interceptions and boasts an impressive passing accuracy of 84 per cent playing the ball out from the back and 62 per cent on long balls out.

During his two-and-a-half seasons at St Mary’s, Southampton won just shy of 40 per cent of their matches with Van Dijk in the side. Without him, that ratio dropped to 26.9 per cent.

And while Lovren remains prone to errors leading to goals, Van Dijk is one of only four centre-backs to play over 60 league games in the last three seasons without making a single mistake.

So it’s little wonder Klopp perceives Van Dijk as the kind of commanding presence Liverpool urgently need to prevent precious points slipping down the drain.

In a similar way to their chase of Leipzig’s Naby Keita, persistence and patience have been key. 

There was competition from Manchester City, and he even wore their shirt when presented as a secret Santa gift last year, but Van Dijk was always keen on Liverpool and has now been granted his wish.

Van Dijk wears a Manchester City shirt after receiving it in Southampton's secret Santa last Christmas - City were interested in signing the Dutchman but he was keen on Liverpool

Van Dijk wears a Manchester City shirt after receiving it in Southampton’s secret Santa last Christmas – City were interested in signing the Dutchman but he was keen on Liverpool

Coaches at Groningen recognised that Van Dijk had enormous potential at a young age

Coaches at Groningen recognised that Van Dijk had enormous potential at a young age

He started his career as a forward before converting to the familiar central defensive role

He started his career as a forward before converting to the familiar central defensive role

Van Dijk profile 

GRONINGEN 2010-2013

66 games, 7 goals

CELTIC 2013-2015

115 games, 15 goals

SOUTHAMPTON 2015-2017

80 games, 7 goals

HOLLAND 2015-

16 games, 0 goals

HONOURS 

CELTIC

Scottish Premiership 2013-14, 2014-15

Scottish League Cup 2014-15

PFA Scotland Team of the Year 2013-14, 2014-15

SOUTHAMPTON

EFL Cup runners-up 2016-17

Club Player of the Season 2015-16 

For the 26-year-old Dutchman, it is the latest step in the upward trajectory of a career that has taken him from Groningen in his homeland to Celtic and then to the English top-flight with the Saints and now Liverpool.

Van Dijk was born in the southern Dutch city of Breda and started his footballing journey at Willem II in nearby Tilburg. A year in their youth ranks was followed by a move to Groningen and rapid progression to the first team.

The 2011-12 campaign represented a breakthrough for the 20-year-old, who had actually started at Groningen as a centre forward before being shifted to the back line.

His first professional goal came in a 6-0 thrashing of Feyenoord, but it was his composed and mature defensive performances that kept the team just above the Eredivisie relegation line.

At that time, Groningen were managed by the former Rangers winger Pieter Huistra and though he recognised Van Dijk’s talent, there was certainly room for improvement when it came to work ethic.

Huistra told Sky Sports last year: ‘Sometimes he’d train hard, other times he’d train at 50 per cent or 60 per cent. I tried to teach him that this was the biggest things he had to improve.’

Van Dijk spent a couple of seasons playing in the Eredivisie before signing for Celtic in 2013

Van Dijk spent a couple of seasons playing in the Eredivisie before signing for Celtic in 2013

Pictured playing for the Holland under-21 side against Scotland in a 2011 friendly fixture

Pictured playing for the Holland under-21 side against Scotland in a 2011 friendly fixture

Van Dijk moved to Celtic in 2013 in a deal worth £2.6m and didn't take long to adapt 

Van Dijk moved to Celtic in 2013 in a deal worth £2.6m and didn’t take long to adapt 

Celtic were the first to pounce as Van Dijk attracted plenty of attention for his performances

Celtic were the first to pounce as Van Dijk attracted plenty of attention for his performances

Well established as a first-team regular by the end of the 2012-13 campaign, Van Dijk was starting to attract attention with Scottish champions Celtic quickest to pounce in a £2.6m deal.

It soon became apparent the 6ft 4in Van Dijk was – literally and metaphorically – head and shoulders above the competition in the Scottish Premiership.

He helped them to the league title in 2013-14 and was selected in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year in recognition of a positive debut season, which also saw him score five times including a memorable solo goal against St Johnstone.

His girlfriend Rike Nooitgedagt helped him settle in Glasgow, having given up her job as a sales manager in the fashion industry to move over with him.

Van Dijk achieved even more in his second season at Parkhead, with 10 goals, another Premiership title, a League Cup triumph and another spot in the PFA team.

There was the odd low point, such as a red card against Inter Milan as Celtic slid out of the UEFA Europa League at the last-32 stage.

The couple posed for portraits as they adapted to life in Glasgow after Van Dijk's 2013 move

The couple posed for portraits as they adapted to life in Glasgow after Van Dijk’s 2013 move

Van Dijk gained valuable experience of playing Champions League football at Celtic

Van Dijk gained valuable experience of playing Champions League football at Celtic

At the start of the following season, as Celtic’s Champions League campaign was ended by Malmo before it had even begun, Van Dijk admitted he was considering his future.

And when Southampton came in and offered £13m and a five-year contract in deadline day, Van Dijk was soon heading south.

As with his other clubs, Van Dijk wasted little time in settling in and quickly adapted to the increased rigors of the English Premier League. A debut in a goalless draw at West Brom set the right tone.

It wasn’t too long after this that Van Dijk won the first of his 16 Holland caps, selected by Danny Blind to play in their Euro 2016 qualifier against Kazakhstan.

Although a regular in the Oranje side since, Van Dijk still won’t get to taste a major tournament after the Dutch failed to qualify for the World Cup in Russia, having also missed out on Euro 2016.

An excellent debut campaign on the south coast saw Van Dijk voted Southampton’s Player of the Year and recognising they had a gem, the Saints rewarded him with a six-year contract on improved terms.

Van Dijk was twice voted into the PFA Scotland Team of the Year during his time at Celtic

Van Dijk was twice voted into the PFA Scotland Team of the Year during his time at Celtic

He moved from Celtic to Southampton in a £13m deal on deadline day in 2015

He moved from Celtic to Southampton in a £13m deal on deadline day in 2015

He leaves Southampton having scored seven goals in 80 appearances for the south coast club

He leaves Southampton having scored seven goals in 80 appearances for the south coast club

He helped the team reach last season’s EFL Cup final, where they lost 3-2 to Manchester United, and was named club captain earlier this year.

Liverpool first registered their interest back in April and it soon became apparent the defender’s head had been turned.

But things took a dramatic twist in June when Southampton reported Liverpool to the Premier League over an alleged illegal approach. The Reds apologised the following day and withdrew their interest – temporarily at least.

In August, Van Dijk handed in a transfer request to try and force through the move but Southampton managed to see out the transfer window without seeing him leave.

After 237 days without playing, Van Dijk featured in Southampton’s game with Crystal Palace on September 16 and continued to be pretty much an ever-present until earlier this month.

As we now know, his exclusion from recent games against Chelsea, Huddersfield and Tottenham was merely an indication that his move to Liverpool was imminent.

With the matter now resolved, Van Dijk has the chance to prove himself on an even bigger stage as his career takes the next step up.

Van Dijk has won 16 caps for Holland but hasn't yet appeared in a major tournament 

Van Dijk has won 16 caps for Holland but hasn’t yet appeared in a major tournament 

 



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