TECHGUIDANCES
Virgil van Dijk was born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on 15th January 1995. As a youngster, his talent and intelligence were obvious, and he soon progressed through the ranks at Feyenoord and Ajax. In 2014, he made his debut for the Netherlands, and has since gone on to establish himself as one of the best defenders in the world. He has been capped 54 times and scored 3 goals for his country. This year, he was named the UEFA Champions League’s best defender and The Best FIFA Footballer of the Year. We take a look at his remarkable career in the football world, and what his immediate future holds.
Early Days At Feyenoord
Virgil van Dijk began his youth career at local side Feyenoord, and made his first-team debut in the Eerste Divisie (Second Division) at the age of 17 in 2013. By 2014, he had signed for Dutch giants Ajax, but returned to Feyenoord in January 2015 after making just 8 appearances for the club. He helped the team to secure a historic treble (league title, cup and European glory) as he played an important role, making 41 appearances and scoring 1 goal. He also played an instrumental part in Feyenoord’s run to the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League, contributing 9 defensive appearances as they overcame F.C. Porto, Club Brugge and H.K. Skouras football clubs to qualify for the last 4 of the European club competition. After the 2015 season, Feyenoord decided to loan Virgil’s services to Turkish side Besiktas for the remainder of the year. He returned to the Dutch side at the end of the season, but only made 7 appearances in the league. It was a disappointing season for the 17-year-old as he sought greater opportunities, and he eventually moved on to Russian side Atlantas in 2016. He spent three seasons at the club, making 68 appearances and scoring 2 goals. After spending the majority of last year on loan at Club Brugge, he returned to Atlantas for the 2018 season and is looking to continue his form from last year.
The Early Days In The Netherlands National Team
Since making his full international debut for the Netherlands against Andorra on 11th January 2014, Virgil van Dijk has gone on to establish himself as one of the best defenders in the world. He was a virtual ever-present for the national side in 2014 and 2015, making 41 appearances and scoring 2 goals. In Euro 2016 he was even more effective, making 39 appearances including a goal in the semi-final victory over Portugal. By the way, if you are betting on sports and want to get a bonus code, go to https://odds2win.bet/bonuses/pakistan/betwinner and collect your bonuses.
The Netherlands will look to further improve on their performances in the upcoming years as Virgil van Dijk continues to age. Having made history by becoming the first Dutchman to be named the UEFA Champions League’s best defender, he will be looking to continue his form in the upcoming years and establish himself as a key squad member.
Ajax To The World
Ajax had been one of Europe’s elite clubs since its founding in the 1950s, but despite spending a large sum of money as part of the multi-billionaire club’s buyout of Dutch side Feyenoord in 2015, the team was soon to struggle. The arrival of new manager Phillip Cocu saw an instant improvement, however, and with an experienced coach at the helm, the team began to find form. They qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in club history, and in Virgil van Dijk, they had one of the best defenders in world football.
The following year, the defense department took it upon themselves to ensure their manager’s efforts were not in vain as they began the defense of their championship season in style by winning the Dutch Super Cup after a 2-0 victory over reigning champions PSV Eindhoven. Since then, they have gone on to retain the Dutch title as well as the Eerste Divisie crown (Second Division). In addition, they claimed the KNVB Cup (national cup) as well as the Intertoto Cup (European competition).
Virgil van Dijk was an integral part of the Ajax squad that won the 2017-2018 UEFA Champions League as he helped the team to secure a 3-1 aggregate victory over Juventus in the final. This year, he was even more influential as he featured in every minute of the competition as the club won their 10th European trophy. In October 2018, he was named the UEFA Champions League’s best defender for his performances this year. He also became the first player to win the annual Golden Glove award for the best defender in the world as voted by his fellow professionals. So far, so good though – Virgil van Dijk has played only two seasons of professional soccer and already has 10 first-team appearances to his name.
With Ajax’s Champions League campaign coming to an end this year, fans will be keen to see how Virgil van Dijk fares in the upcoming years as he continues to age. He turns 18 next year, and while he can still play in the Champions League, he will be looking to secure a regular spot in the club’s starting lineup for the coming years. He made 42 appearances and scored 3 goals for the Amsterdam side in total, although he did miss the final match of the season due to injury. He returns to action this year after a successful rehabilitation, and is determined to continue his form in the coming seasons.
Capped 54 Times By The Netherlands
Virgil van Dijk was born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on 15th January 1995. He spent the first 12 years of his life in the Netherlands before moving to Turkey, playing for the Turkish youth teams. He was eventually named best young player at the Under 16 World Cup in Thailand in 2013, and was one of the stars of the tournament as he led the Dutch defense. He was an important figurehead as the Netherlands went on to claim the silverware after a 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the semi-final. In the summer of 2014 he had a trial at Liverpool, but was not offered a contract by the Merseyside outfit. Instead, he signed a four-year contract with Turkish side Besiktas at the end of that year.
It was a controversial move for many Dutch football fans as Besiktas, a club based in Istanbul, is not actually affiliated with the Dutch Royal Family, a fact that was brought to light during the negotiations. Despite the snobbery that often accompanies these situations, Virgil van Dijk went on to make an impact at Besiktas, and helped the club to claim the Turkish Super Lig title (first division) as they defeated Fenerbahce Istanbul 3-0 in the final.
In October 2017, he returned to the Netherlands for the first time in two years to play for the Utrecht in the Eerste Divisie (Second Division). He started and played the full 90 minutes as Utrecht claimed a 0-1 victory over Telstar in a freezing cold stadium. The following month, he scored his first ever professional goal to secure a 1-0 win over Achilles in the KNVB Cup (national cup) semi-final. In the final, he helped Utrecht to a memorable 3-2 extra-time victory over Feyenoord as he scored the equalizing goal four minutes into the second half of extra-time.
Renewed Hope At Ajax
Since making his full international debut for the Netherlands against Andorra on 11th January 2014, Virgil van Dijk has gone on to establish himself as one of the best defenders in the world. He was a virtual ever-present for the national side in 2014 and 2015, making 41 appearances and scoring 2 goals. In Euro 2016 he was even more effective, making 39 appearances including a goal in the semi-final victory over Portugal.
The Netherlands will look to further improve on their performances in the upcoming years as Virgil van Dijk continues to age. Having made history by becoming the first Dutchman to be named the UEFA Champions League’s best defender, he will be looking to continue his form in the upcoming years and establish himself as a key squad member.
Virgil van Dijk is an important figurehead and face of Ajax as they look to bounce back from a disappointing campaign in UEFA Europa League, where they ended runners-up to Juventus in the group stage. He made 41 appearances and scored 2 goals for the Amsterdam side in total, although he did miss the final match of the season due to injury. He returns to action this year after a successful rehabilitation, and is determined to continue his form in the coming seasons.
