Career Timeline of Virgil van Dijk: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Virgil van Dijk made an impact.

Virgil van Dijk is a highly acclaimed Dutch professional footballer, renowned as one of the best defenders in the sport. He serves as the captain for both Liverpool in the Premier League and the Netherlands national team. Celebrated for his exceptional strength, leadership qualities, speed, and aerial prowess, Van Dijk is a dominant force on the field. His contributions have significantly impacted both club and country, solidifying his reputation as a world-class player.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

2008: Shift to Central Defense

In 2008, at the age of 17, Virgil van Dijk was shifted into a central defensive position after growing in height.

May 2010: Netherlands U19 Debut

On 12 May 2010, Van Dijk made his debut for the Netherlands U19 team in a friendly match against South Korea U19.

2010: Transferred to Groningen

In 2010, at the age of 19, Virgil van Dijk left Willem II for Groningen on a free transfer after being scouted by Martin Koeman.

May 2011: Professional Debut for Groningen

In May 2011, Virgil van Dijk made his professional debut for Groningen. On May 1, he came on as a substitute during a 4–2 victory against ADO Den Haag. On May 29, he made his first start and scored his first professional goals, netting twice in a 5–1 win.

October 2011: First Regular Season Goal and Hospitalization

In October 2011, during the 2011–12 Eredivisie season, Virgil van Dijk scored his first regular-season goal for Groningen during the club's 6–0 victory over Feyenoord on October 30. Shortly after his 20th birthday, he was admitted to hospital with advanced appendicitis, peritonitis and kidney poisoning and underwent an urgent lifesaving operation.

November 2011: Netherlands U21 Debut

On 14 November 2011, Van Dijk made his debut for the Netherlands U21 team in a qualifying match against Scotland U21.

2012: Return from Illness

In the summer of 2012, Virgil van Dijk returned after recovering from illness and rejoined the Groningen selection. He excelled in the center of defense.

June 2013: Signed with Celtic

On June 21, 2013, Virgil van Dijk signed with Celtic for a fee of around £2.6 million, on a four-year deal including a 10% selling-on fee for Groningen. He made his debut on August 17, and scored his first Celtic goals on November 9.

2013: Move to Celtic

In 2013, Virgil van Dijk moved to Celtic where he won the Scottish Premiership and was named in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year in both of his seasons with the club, and won the Scottish League Cup in the second.

2013: Rejected Transfers

In the summer of 2013, Virgil van Dijk was considered to strengthen PSV's defense. He rejected transfers to Brighton & Hove Albion FC or FK Krasnodar. Van Dijk contacted Marc Overmars to discuss a possible transfer to AFC Ajax, but the club decided not to accept Van Dijk's advances.

January 2014: Scored Against Hibernian

On 26 January 2014, Van Dijk scored in a 4-0 win versus Hibernian for Celtic's 11th consecutive league win.

July 2014: Scored Twice in Champions League Qualifier

On 22 July 2014, Virgil van Dijk scored twice in a 4–0 home win over KR in a UEFA Champions League qualifier.

2014: Selected for Netherlands Senior Squad

In 2014, Van Dijk was selected for the Netherlands senior squad three times, but did not make his debut until October 2015.

January 2015: Scored Against Motherwell

On 21 January 2015, Van Dijk scored the opening goal in a 4–0 home win over Motherwell.

September 2015: Signed for Southampton

On 1 September 2015, Virgil van Dijk signed a five-year contract with Premier League club Southampton for a reported £13 million transfer fee.

October 2015: Netherlands Debut

On 10 October 2015, Van Dijk made his debut for the Netherlands senior team in a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifier against Kazakhstan, which the Netherlands won 2-1.

2015: Considering future after Champions League exit

After Celtic were knocked out of the 2015-16 UEFA Champions League in the qualifying rounds to Malmö of Sweden, Van Dijk was reportedly "considering his future" in Glasgow.

2015: Joined Southampton

In 2015, Virgil van Dijk joined Southampton.

2015: Senior International Debut

In 2015, Virgil van Dijk made his senior international debut for the Netherlands.

May 2016: Signed new six-year contract with the Saints.

On 7 May 2016, Virgil Van Dijk signed a new six-year contract with the Saints

January 2017: Named Southampton Captain and Ankle Injury

On 22 January 2017, Virgil van Dijk was named captain of Southampton. On the same day, he suffered an ankle injury against Leicester City.

August 2017: Transfer Request

On 7 August 2017, Virgil van Dijk handed in a transfer request to Southampton, expressing his wish to join a different club.

December 2017: Final Appearance for Southampton

On 13 December 2017, Virgil van Dijk made what turned out to be his final appearance for Southampton, in a 4–1 home defeat to Leicester.

December 2017: Agreed to join Liverpool

On 27 December 2017, it was announced that Virgil van Dijk would join Liverpool when the winter transfer window opened.

January 2018: Signed for Liverpool

In January 2018, Virgil van Dijk signed for Liverpool for £75 million, a then-world-record transfer fee for a defender.

March 2018: Assumed captaincy of national team

In March 2018, Virgil van Dijk assumed full captaincy of the Netherlands national team.

March 2018: Netherlands Captaincy and First International Goal

On 22 March 2018, Van Dijk was awarded the captaincy of the Netherlands national team. On 26 March 2018, he scored his first international goal in a 3–0 win over Portugal.

December 2018: Premier League Player of the Month

In December 2018, Van Dijk won the Premier League Player of the Month prize, continuing his impressive form in the 2018-19 season. On 21 December 2018, he also scored his first Premier League goal for Liverpool in a 2-0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

2018: Played in UEFA Champions League Final

In 2018, Virgil van Dijk played the full 90 minutes in the UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid. Van Dijk was included in the UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season. Van Dijk played 22 games in all competitions in his first season with the club, scoring once.

February 2019: Two Goals Against Watford

On 27 February 2019, Van Dijk scored twice in a 5-0 win against Watford.

June 2019: UEFA Nations League Finals

In June 2019, Van Dijk captained the Netherlands at the 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals, where they finished as runner-up after being beaten 1–0 by Portugal in the final on 9 June.

2019: UEFA Champions League Winner

In 2019, Virgil Van Dijk won the UEFA Champions League with Liverpool. He was also named PFA Players' Player of the Year and the Premier League Player of the Season in his first full season. Van Dijk later won the FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup, and helped end the club's 30-year league title drought by winning the 2019–20 Premier League. He is the only defender to win the UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award, and has finished runner-up for both the Ballon d'Or and Best FIFA Men's Player, all in 2019. Van Dijk has also been selected in the FIFPRO Men's World 11 in four different years.

January 2020: UEFA Team of the Year and First North-West Derby Goal

In January 2020, Van Dijk was named in the 2019 UEFA Team of the Year. On 19 January 2020, he scored his first North-West Derby goal against Manchester United in Liverpool's 2–0 win at Anfield in the Premier League.

September 2020: Goal Against Leeds United

On 12 September 2020, Van Dijk scored a headed goal against Leeds United on the opening day of the new season.

July 2021: First Appearance After Injury

On 29 July 2021, Van Dijk made his first appearance in over nine months, coming on as a second-half substitute in a pre-season friendly against Hertha BSC, after recovering from a long-term injury.

August 2021: New Four-Year Contract

On 13 August 2021, Van Dijk signed a new four-year contract with Liverpool, committing him to the club until 2025.

November 2022: Dutch Captain for 2022 FIFA World Cup

In November 2022, Van Dijk was announced as the Dutch captain for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

2022: Represented Netherlands at 2022 FIFA World Cup

In 2022, Virgil van Dijk represented the Netherlands at the FIFA World Cup.

June 2023: UEFA Nations League Finals Squad

In June 2023, Van Dijk was part of the Netherlands' squad for the 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals, where he captained the team against both Croatia and Italy.

July 2023: Named Liverpool Captain

On 31 July 2023, following the departure of Jordan Henderson, Van Dijk was named as Liverpool's new captain.

February 2024: EFL Cup Win as Captain

On 25 February 2024, Van Dijk won his first trophy as Liverpool captain, scoring the only goal in extra time of a 1–0 victory over Chelsea in the EFL Cup final. He was also named man of the match and won the Alan Hardaker Trophy for the second time in his career.