How shining is Liverpool’s new signing Virgil outpost Dijk?
Liverpool have done Virgil outpost Dijk a many costly defender as he completes an €85m pierce from Southampton. We form a arise of a 26-year-old former Groningen and Celtic centre-back with a bravery for fantastic free-kicks who has come adult a tough way.
What they say
“After years of watchful he done an glorious debut, as if he’d already been personification with a Oranje for a prolonged time. Right footed, he had to play on a left side, yet he was glorious in a rave and done some good passes.”
Former Ajax defender Sonny Silooy on Van Dijk’s Oranje debut
“The initial day we watched him in training we thought, ‘We’ve got one here’. He showed restraint and strength. At that indicate we knew we had a specimen.“
Neil Lennon, his initial manager during Celtic
“He can turn a world’s best defender. Not usually is he unequivocally good, he is also unequivocally immature and has his best years brazen of him. That means he will be a profitable actor for years to come. He has a outrageous physique, he’s super quick and he is good with a turn during his feet, so he fits into Liverpool’s impression of play.”
Ronny Deila, former Celtic manager
“He is one of a best defenders in a universe and he has all a qualities to turn a best.”
Claude Puel, former Southampton manager
“The initial thing all Liverpool supporters should forget utterly shortly is a price. We usually speak about a player, what he can pierce in, his qualities, his mentality, his character, all that stuff. That’s because we are unequivocally happy about it.”
Jürgen Klopp, Liverpool manager
Current tally
International: 16 appearances, 0 goals
UEFA bar competition: 33 appearances, 4 goals
Domestic competition: 205 appearances, 20 goals
Claims to fame
Groningen
• A girl product during Willem II, Van Dijk assimilated Groningen aged 19 in 2010, creation his veteran entrance during a finish of that season. His crawl came opposite ADO Den Haag on 1 May 2011.
• At a finish of that month, Van Dijk scored his initial veteran goals, opposite a same opponents in a play-off to confirm a Netherlands’ European places. “With a initial idea we usually took a organisation with me behind to a median line, yet with a second we let my emotions go,” pronounced Van Dijk. “This is such a smashing feeling.”
• Became a unchanging a following season, opening his Eredivisie comment in a 6-0 win opposite Feyenoord on 30 Oct 2011.
• Van Dijk managed 5 Eredivisie goals in 57 matches for Groningen before relocating to Celtic in summer 2013.
Celtic
• Made his entrance as a surrogate in a 2-0 win during Aberdeen on 17 Aug 2013, saying; “I came on as a underling for Efe [Ambrose] and it was a good feeling. After that it went like a rollercoaster.”
• Was shortly behaving good during both ends of a pitch, removing his initial dual goals in a 4-1 better of Ross County that November. His free-kick into a tip dilemma opposite Hibernian a integrate of months after reliable him as Celtic’s best set-piece hazard given Shunsuke Nakamura.
• In that initial deteriorate was partial of a parsimonious counterclaim that racked adult a Scottish record of 13 uninterrupted purify sheets.
• Impressed in a UEFA Champions League opposite a likes of Barcelona, AC Milan and Ajax, and again in a UEFA Europa League a following deteriorate as Celtic reached a knockout stages.
• After dual Scottish titles, was on his approach after Celtic were incompetent to strech a 2015/16 UEFA Champions League organisation stage.
Southampton
• Moved to Southampton on 1 Sep 2015, signing a five-year contract. His entrance was a goalless pull opposite West Brom, Van Dijk scoring his initial idea in his fourth diversion – a 3-1 win opposite Swansea.
• Made 34 Premier League appearances in his entrance deteriorate during St Mary’s, assisting a Saints finish sixth and acquire a place in a 2016/17 UEFA Europa League.
• Played all 6 European games a following season, scoring opposite Internazionale Milano (helping a Saints to a noted victory) and Hapoel Beer-Sheva, nonetheless a English side bent out of a foe after a latter draw.
• Named Southampton captain on 22 Jan 2017, after a depart of José Fonte to West Ham.
• Part of a side that reached a English League Cup final, Van Dijk missed a better by Manchester United – and a second half of 2016/17 – after deleterious a vinculum in his feet opposite Leicester in January.
Netherlands
• A former Under-19 and U21 international, Van Dijk done his comparison Oranje entrance on 10 Oct 2015, in a 2-1 UEFA EURO 2016 subordinate win opposite Kazakhstan. “I am intensely unapproachable to have done my debut,” he explained. “I’ve waited a prolonged time for this and I’m inspired for more.”
• Van Dijk has given turn a unchanging yet is still available his vital contest bow, after a Netherlands unsuccessful to validate for UEFA EURO 2016 and a 2018 FIFA World Cup.
What we competence not know
• Liverpool have reportedly paid roughly €85m for Van Dijk – creation him not usually a many costly defender ever yet by distant a many costly Dutch player. The prior record was set by Marc Overmars, who left Arsenal for Barcelona in Jul 2000 for a reported €40m.
• Van Dijk came by a girl set-up during Willem II yet he was deemed too tiny and too slow. However, he still has gentle feelings for a Tilburg side. “I don’t censure anyone,” he said. “In a finish for me privately things went good after all – yet Willem II is still in my heart. we had 10 really pleasing years there in a girl department, and I’ll never forget them.”
• In Sep 2014 Van Dijk perceived a initial Netherlands call-up from Guus Hiddink, that forced a quick change of plans. His partner was due to give birth, that was organised for an progressing date – permitting a centre-back to join adult with a inhabitant side after a attainment of his daughter. Van Dijk had to wait until Oct 2015 for his initial cap, underneath Danny Blind.
What he says
“I am vocal, we am apparently flattering tall, we like to authority a defensive line and have a turn as well. we like to play out from a behind and be gentle on a ball.”
On his qualities
“Jaap Stam was a Dutch centre-back who did an extraordinary pursuit for United and for a nation as well. He was always a actor who we looked adult to.”
On his boyhood idol
“Celtic is a shining football club; it will always be in my heart and we will always be a Celtic believer myself.”
On creation his pierce to Southampton
“I have played in a Champions League with Celtic and that was really special … Liverpool is adult there as good with a atmosphere and a fans. we am usually looking brazen to everything! Everything is perfect; a stadium, a training ground, a comforts and a people who work during a club, a people and a city, a fans. It is usually a ideal place for me to be, and for my family to be as well.“
After fasten Liverpool
What he competence grasp yet
• Van Dijk comes into a Liverpool organisation whose Premier League plea and really scarcely their UEFA Champions League hopes have been derailed by a tendanct to boat goals, generally from winning positions, as opposite Arsenal and Sevilla this season. He can strike a belligerent running, with games entrance adult on opposite Everton in a FA Cup and Manchester City in a joining before a UEFA Champions League turn of 16 tie with Porto. And usually as Liverpool are looking to Van Dijk to assistance rediscover their excellence days, so will a Netherlands. He might have been a late starter yet Van Dijk has a possibility to grasp large things.