Jump to content

A Liverpool legend in the making: Behind Virgil van Dijk's remarkable rise - Sports News - InviteHawk - Your Only Source for Free Torrent Invites

Buy, Sell, Trade or Find Free Torrent Invites for Private Torrent Trackers Such As redacted, blutopia, losslessclub, femdomcult, filelist, Chdbits, Uhdbits, empornium, iptorrents, hdbits, gazellegames, animebytes, privatehd, myspleen, torrentleech, morethantv, bibliotik, alpharatio, blady, passthepopcorn, brokenstones, pornbay, cgpeers, cinemageddon, broadcasthenet, learnbits, torrentseeds, beyondhd, cinemaz, u2.dmhy, Karagarga, PTerclub, Nyaa.si, Polishtracker etc.

A Liverpool legend in the making: Behind Virgil van Dijk's remarkable rise


Ulquiorra
 Share

Recommended Posts

 

In an exclusive interview, the Goal 50 winner reflects on just how far he's come over the past 10 years and reveals that he's not done yet
“Maybe it’s time for a defender to win it.”

There’s a glint in Virgil van Dijk’s eye as he delivers the killer line.

He knows that this is an unusual situation, an unusual achievement. Not many centre-backs get the better of Cristiano Ronaldo. Not many defenders outshine Lionel Messi or Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah or Kylian Mbappe.

Editors' Picks
Megan Rapinoe: Born & brilliant in the U.S.A.
Goal 50 revealed: The best 50 players in the world
Virgil van Dijk and Megan Rapinoe win Goal 50 best player awards
Guardiola thought VAR would bring justice for Man City - so far it's only caused pain
Not many, though, are like Van Dijk.

The Dutchman is at Liverpool’s Melwood training ground to receive his award for finishing as No.1 in the 12th annual Goal 50 list.

He’s the first Liverpool player to win it, the first defender, only the second Premier League player and only the second player from the Netherlands.

“Very proud,” Van Dijk says, examining his silver trophy. “Just to even be in that bracket, with so many great players, is something I am proud of.”

 

He’s getting used to this kind of recognition, of course.

In April, he was named PFA Player of the Year, while in August he picked up the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award ahead of Messi and Ronaldo. He is, at time of writing, the odds-on favourite to win the Ballon d’Or before the year is out, too.

That’s how good he is. Good enough to stand alongside, or even above, two of the greatest players of all-time. Good enough to be considered the world’s best. Good enough to be a European champion, captain of his country, a player respected and admired across the globe.

“Maybe now I don’t really understand how big it is,” he smiles, when asked about coping with such adulation. “It just comes at me and I am just absorbing everything.”

He pauses for a second. “But there will definitely be a time that I realise what is going on.”

20.jpg

Van Dijk’s modesty is endearing. He speaks of his team, of how individual awards are not possible without collective achievements. He is confident, but doesn’t enjoy talking himself up.

Fortunately, Goal's arranged for a few others to do that.

So, as Van Dijk sits down for his exclusive, in-depth interview, a number of clips play on the screen above him; ghosts of Christmas past, figures who have helped shape his career, from “a slow right-back” – his words – at Groningen to the Rolls Royce of a centre-half we have become used to at Celtic, Southampton and Liverpool.

“He’s the best in the world,” says Celtic boss Neil Lennon, drawing a smile. Lennon was the manager who brought Van Dijk to the UK from Groningen in 2013, and remembers his first ‘bounce game’ against Carlisle. He knew then that he was onto a winner.

“He went on this dribble,” the Irishman remembers. “He went past a couple and thought ‘I’m gonna hit this’. He was about 45 yards out, and it hit the bar and bounced out way beyond the box.

“I was like ‘that’s our centre-half there’, you know?”

Van Dijk would spend two seasons in Glasgow, making 115 appearances and winning two league titles.

“Celtic, what a time it was!” he smiles as a jokey message from Scott Brown, the Hoops captain, plays on the screen. Brown and Van Dijk became close pals at Parkhead, the firebrand Scot teaching the laid-back Dutchman the importance of a winning mentality, of never settling for second best.

“I had to get that in my system,” says Van Dijk. “Every game that we played, everyone expected us to win. And the way we played, most of the time we had 60 per cent ball possession, and we were just attacking all the time. That was something I’d never experienced in my previous career.”

Lennon remembers wondering “Where’s the catch?” after his scouting team had brought him a 15-minute compilation of Van Dijk’s best bits at Groningen. To this day, the Ulsterman still can’t believe Europe’s biggest clubs let him slip through their nets.

“Straight away, I was thinking ‘Rio Ferdinand’,” he says, though he goes on to reveal that, a few weeks into his Celtic career, Van Dijk was asked if he’d ever considered playing in midfield. “He was good enough,” Lennon adds. Van Dijk, though, was firm; he was a centre-back, nothing more.

By 2015, it was time to move to the Premier League – though again, the traditional ‘big boys’ were conspicuous by their absence. Instead, it was Southampton, managed by another ex-Groningen man, Ronald Koeman, who met Celtic’s £11 million ($14m) asking price.

“It was always a dream of mine to play in the Premier League,” says Van Dijk, watching a clip where Koeman refers to him as ‘The King'.

Van Dijk had got to know Koeman’s father, Martin, at Groningen. Ronald, he says, was a big factor in his decision to join the Saints.

“It was the right time, and I think it was the right club at the time too," he explains. "The whole setup at the time was outstanding, and obviously the manager played a massive part in my decision to come to Southampton. I learned so much there, made massive steps there and will always be thankful for my time there.”

21.jpg

Van Dijk’s modesty is endearing. He speaks of his team, of how individual awards are not possible without collective achievements. He is confident, but doesn’t enjoy talking himself up.

Fortunately, Goal's arranged for a few others to do that.

So, as Van Dijk sits down for his exclusive, in-depth interview, a number of clips play on the screen above him; ghosts of Christmas past, figures who have helped shape his career, from “a slow right-back” – his words – at Groningen to the Rolls Royce of a centre-half we have become used to at Celtic, Southampton and Liverpool.

“He’s the best in the world,” says Celtic boss Neil Lennon, drawing a smile. Lennon was the manager who brought Van Dijk to the UK from Groningen in 2013, and remembers his first ‘bounce game’ against Carlisle. He knew then that he was onto a winner.

“He went on this dribble,” the Irishman remembers. “He went past a couple and thought ‘I’m gonna hit this’. He was about 45 yards out, and it hit the bar and bounced out way beyond the box.

“I was like ‘that’s our centre-half there’, you know?”

Van Dijk would spend two seasons in Glasgow, making 115 appearances and winning two league titles.

“Celtic, what a time it was!” he smiles as a jokey message from Scott Brown, the Hoops captain, plays on the screen. Brown and Van Dijk became close pals at Parkhead, the firebrand Scot teaching the laid-back Dutchman the importance of a winning mentality, of never settling for second best.

“I had to get that in my system,” says Van Dijk. “Every game that we played, everyone expected us to win. And the way we played, most of the time we had 60 per cent ball possession, and we were just attacking all the time. That was something I’d never experienced in my previous career.”

Lennon remembers wondering “Where’s the catch?” after his scouting team had brought him a 15-minute compilation of Van Dijk’s best bits at Groningen. To this day, the Ulsterman still can’t believe Europe’s biggest clubs let him slip through their nets.

“Straight away, I was thinking ‘Rio Ferdinand’,” he says, though he goes on to reveal that, a few weeks into his Celtic career, Van Dijk was asked if he’d ever considered playing in midfield. “He was good enough,” Lennon adds. Van Dijk, though, was firm; he was a centre-back, nothing more.

By 2015, it was time to move to the Premier League – though again, the traditional ‘big boys’ were conspicuous by their absence. Instead, it was Southampton, managed by another ex-Groningen man, Ronald Koeman, who met Celtic’s £11 million ($14m) asking price.

“It was always a dream of mine to play in the Premier League,” says Van Dijk, watching a clip where Koeman refers to him as ‘The King'.

Van Dijk had got to know Koeman’s father, Martin, at Groningen. Ronald, he says, was a big factor in his decision to join the Saints.

“It was the right time, and I think it was the right club at the time too," he explains. "The whole setup at the time was outstanding, and obviously the manager played a massive part in my decision to come to Southampton. I learned so much there, made massive steps there and will always be thankful for my time there.”


22.jpg

“What a song!” says Van Dijk, his eyes glassy. “What a video, actually! A couple of my family members were in that crowd.

“I saw the video after lunch [ahead of the final]. We usually have a sleep, but I couldn’t. I was so excited, I wanted to just get out there. And I don’t have that too much!

“I was just ready to go, I wanted to go out there, get the trophy and party with them! I am very proud to get that song, and that video definitely gives me chills. It’s just outstanding, something amazing.”

Van Dijk remembers the moment he knew he was a European champion. He remembers Divock Origi’s shot hitting the back of the net, clinching Liverpool’s win over Tottenham at the Wanda Metropolitano. If only he could bottle it, he says.

“That’s the moment that plays in my mind,” he smiles. “I knew it was done, and I was lying flat down on the ground. The actual moment of the final whistle is just, you know, tears in my eyes from so much joy.

“It’s all the hard work we all put in. There are a lot of players in the team that didn’t have the easy road. Some players have to work for what they are, for example Robbo [Andy Robertson]. Where he came from and where he is right now is amazing to see.

“It should also give so much power to kids who are struggling at a young age, because you never know what might happen in the future.”

A year earlier, of course, Van Dijk, Robertson and Co. had been left heartbroken, beaten in the final by Real Madrid in Kiev. A chastening experience, but one which provided the steam for the following year’s success.

“What I felt before the final in Madrid was that I don’t want to walk through that guard of honour and get my silver medal,” Van Dijk says. “That feeling is the worst feeling you can have.

“I thought about it before the Tottenham game that we have to do it, we have to get the trophy no matter what. To actually win it, it’s something you will never forget.

“Not a lot of players in their career win the Champions League, but we actually did it. I think we will always be remembered in Liverpool history for that.”

He’s got that right. He only needs to listen on a matchday at Anfield to hear what Liverpool fans think of their heroes. Van Dijk’s song is a popular one, but Robertson, Wijnaldum, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Mo Salah - they all have their own.

“Proud, yeah!” grins Van Dijk. “That’s the only thing I can say.

“I’m just very proud that with the qualities we have we can make so many people happy, maybe sometimes angry as well! It’s something I just enjoy. As players, the only thing we can do is give everything on the pitch, and that’s what the fans do for us as well.”

What about the manager, then? What about the man who pushed for his signing at Liverpool, the man whose mix of man-management and tactical acumen has pushed the Reds to the summit? What about Jurgen Klopp?

“I definitely have a special connection with him,” Van Dijk says. “And I will always be grateful for him making sure I was going to come here.

“He’s just a fantastic, complete manager with a clear plan. He has fantastic player-management skills. He does it just on instinct, and he always says the right things.

“It just clicks at the moment, the whole philosophy of the club, with the staff, with him, with the players, it’s all one. I think that’s very important at a football club, and hopefully we can achieve more things all together.”

The signs look good, in that regard. Liverpool are top of the Premier League and progressing in Europe once more. Klopp’s side look the real deal.

Van Dijk’s mantelpiece, meanwhile, will need extending soon. He’s taken his time getting to the top, but his rise is no surprise to those who have seen him at close quarters.

“There’s no better player in the world right now,” says Scott Brown. Jay Rodriguez says that “this is what he was destined to do”. Pieter Huistra, who gave him his professional debut at Groningen, says his success has put Dutch football on the map.

Lennon, meanwhile, goes even further.

“I think he’s going to go on to be one of the greatest of all-time,” he says.

There can be no higher praise than that, surely?

Not bad for 'just' a centre-back.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The last post in this topic was made more than 14 days ago. Only post in this topic if you have something valuable to add. Irrelevant posts are not allowed and you will be warned/banned for spamming old topics.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Customer Reviews

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.