The Professional Footballers’ Association in England (PFA) recently named Virgil van Dijk the 2018–19 season’s Best Player. In order to reach today’s grandeur, the Liverpool midfielder had to overcome numerous obstacles, at times nearly dying. Check with Bettingvoice.
Van Dijk, Virgil “I wash dishes and play football for a living.”
Van Dijk stunned the world in January 2018 before taking home the PFA Player of the Season award first. When he moved from Southampton to Liverpool for a fee of 75 million pounds, he became the most expensive defender in football history. This was shocking to everyone, but especially to the owner of the restaurant where he used to wash dishes for only 4 euros an hour, or roughly 3.45 pounds an hour. In just ten years, Van Dijk has gone from being a guy who had to earn every euro working as a restaurant dishwasher to becoming the most expensive defender and PFA’s best player.
Van Dijk began his football journey in the training camp of the Dutch team, Willem II. At that time, his family was having financial difficulties, and to pursue his dream of becoming a professional player, Van Dijk took advantage of a part-time job. At the age of 16, he applied for a job as a dishwasher at Oncle Jean restaurant in his hometown of Breda. Oncle Jean owner Jacques Lips recalls:
“Van Dijk is an extremely diligent individual. I’ve never heard someone bemoan his attitude at work. On the busiest nights of the week in the past, he frequently came to wash dishes. Since playing football doesn’t always pay off, I’ve told him numerous times to stay and work for us in order to earn money. Fortunately, Van Dijk ignored such counsel.”
However, while studying at Willem II’s training facility, Van Dijk constantly tried to prove his talent. However, coach Fons Groenendijk – who directed the team during that period – did not give Van Dijk the opportunity to join the first team, even for just one training session. Later, Groenendijk explained that, at that time, the team was struggling to avoid relegation so they did not dare to experiment with young talents. But for Van Dijk, that lack of opportunity is a breach of trust from Willem II’s coaching staff and management, making him always feel like his potential is not being properly appreciated.
Later, Groenendijk explained that at that time Willem II was struggling to stay in relegation so he could not test young talents. But Van Dijk still resents Groenendijk and Willem II’s coaching staff and board of directors that day. He thought he had been betrayed.
Close to the scythe of death
Willem II is famous for possessing rare talents but sometimes not exploiting their full value – as in the case of precious gem Frenkie de Jong, who missed his opportunity until Ajax rose. In that context, luck smiled on Van Dijk when scout Henk Weldmate, currently working for Ajax, recognized his potential and brought him to Groningen in 2010, when Van Dijk was only 19 years old. Since the 2010/11 season, he had the opportunity to play for Groningen’s first team and everything seemed to be smiling with his career journey.
However, fate was not easy when just a few days after his 20th birthday, Van Dijk – midfielder born on July 8, 1991 – had to face the nightmare of illness. He had appendicitis, peritonitis and kidney toxicity. The late discovery and treatment of the disease brought him to the brink of life.
Van Dijk once shared:
“I still remember the feeling of lying in the hospital bed back then. The only thing I could see clearly were the wires and pipes sticking into my body. The body seemed to disintegrate, unable to move. My mother and I only knew how to pray to God, praying like water, but we also had to mentally prepare for the worst. There were times when I was forced to sign documents like a will, which meant that if I didn’t survive, everything would go to my mother. Sure, no one wants to think about that, but that’s the reality we have to face.”
Fortunately, the worst situation did not happen. Van Dijk gradually recovered, returned to the field and continued to conquer new heights in his football career.
The suffering “in love, in love”
In September 2014, while shining in the Celtic shirt, Van Dijk received a call-up from coach Guus Hiddink to the Dutch team – a memorable and joy-filled moment. However, fate was ironic when the Dutch national team’s match schedule coincided with the occasion when his wife, Rike, gave birth. For Van Dijk, it was an emotional storm when he had the opportunity to debut the national shirt and did not want to miss a precious family moment.
Not wanting to lose the opportunity to debut for the national team, Van Dijk had to face the anxiety “on the love side, on the team side”. He decided to give Rike a cesarean section earlier than expected, a decision that was not easy and quickly caused public opinion to criticize Van Dijk for being “impulsive”. Coach Hiddink also couldn’t hide his disappointment when he removed Van Dijk from the list of players for the Netherlands on that occasion, forcing him to wait until October 2015 to have the opportunity to wear the national team shirt.
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Conclude
Virgil van Dijk’s journey from his early difficult days to becoming a defensive pillar and leader of famous football teams is a living testament to the power of passion, willpower and belief in oneself. His every step, every success is an inspiration for many football lovers, as well as for those who are pursuing their dreams and overcoming all challenges.
