Virgil van Dijk
CB
Netherlands35 years
Showing2026/27 seasonAll official competitions
Preferred Positions
Last 24 months · all competitions
CB
Centre-backMain
11,385 min · 127 apps · 126 starts
Squad importance
Current squad importance over the club’s last 40 recorded competitive games in this spell, including previous seasons. Starts and minutes contribute 70%; performance contributes 30%. Absences reduce the score gradually, with less weight when a player is outside the matchday squad.Current role at Liverpool · independent of the season filter
Star
Involvement94%
Performance41%
Through the match on 4 Nov 2026. Refreshed daily.
Profile
Career & playing style
Virgil van Dijk is a Dutch centre-back whose defending is built around controlling an attacker’s choices. He has described using his body position and strength to guide an opponent towards one side, delay the shot and reduce its power or accuracy.
Born in Breda on 8 July 1991, he developed in Willem II’s youth system before moving to Groningen in 2010. His first-team debut followed in May 2011, and over the next two seasons he established himself in their defence.
Celtic, which he joined in 2013, gave him Champions League experience and two Scottish league titles. It also changed the demands on his passing: in a 2024 interview, he explained that playing for a team that dominated possession helped him improve. He identified working under Ronald Koeman at Southampton, after his 2015 move, as another important step.
He joined Liverpool in January 2018 and helped them win the Champions League in 2019, earning the final’s man-of-the-match award. He was also named UEFA Men’s Player of the Year for 2018/19. In 2019/20, he played every Premier League match as Liverpool ended their 30-year wait for the English title.
Appointed Liverpool captain in 2023, he scored the extra-time winner against Chelsea in the 2024 League Cup final. That header showed the value of his aerial ability at the attacking end as well as in defence. He then captained the club to the 2024/25 Premier League title.
He was appointed Netherlands captain in March 2018. He played in their run to the EURO 2024 semi-finals, where England eliminated them. At the 2026 World Cup, he captained the side against Morocco as the Netherlands went out on penalties in the round of 32.
A defensive example came against Tottenham in 2019. Facing a two-against-one counterattack, he blocked the passing route to Son Heung-min and encouraged Moussa Sissoko towards his weaker foot. Sissoko missed. Van Dijk had reduced the danger by managing the available options.
His passing can stretch a defence in the other direction. Premier League analysis in February 2025 highlighted his long diagonal balls to Mohamed Salah and switches towards either wing. Those passes carried the attack across the pitch, making it harder for opponents to protect the middle with a narrow shape.