VAN DIJK’S AMAZING RISE TO THE TOP
How Dutch superstar has gone from reject in Holland to Kop King
VIRGIL VAN DIJK is being hailed as the best defender in the world.
But Sunday Mirror Sport can reveal how the Dutchman, who cost Liverpool a record £75million in January 2018, was not considered good enough to make the grade by Holland’s biggest clubs. Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven all rejected the chance to bid for Van Dijk in the summer of 2013 after Groningen had accepted a £2.6m offer from Celtic. It was a bitter blow that was to become the making of the 6ft 4in defender. Van Dijk, 27, won successive Scottish titles in Glasgow and then spent two-anda-half years with Southampton before Jurgen Klopp made him football’s most expensive defender. But his journey to the UK was as rough as a storm-lashed voyage across the North Sea. It started at Willem II, a small club based in Tilburg, just 20 miles east of Van Dijk’s hometown of Breda. He spent almost 10 years in Willem II’S youth system – without ever being given the financial security of a contract. Van Dijk recalled: “I was a local boy, giving my heart and soul to the club. I was so disappointed. Obviously, they did not have the same trust in me, which other clubs had in me in the years that followed.
“I felt betrayed. It was as if they did not see a future in professional football for me.”
It was only when Groningen registered an interest in Van Dijk that Willem II approached the player’s agent Henkmaarten Chin about a deal.
Even then, it was a take-it-or-leave-it offer – and Van Dijk took the second option.
He had been spotted by Groningen’s chief scout Martin Koeman – father of current Holland boss Ronald.
Koeman senior’s notes describe the teenager as “a rough diamond with Eredivisie potential”.
Henk Veldmate, Groningen’s former manager, who is now employed as Ajax’s chief scout, said: “We had noticed Virgil was strong and athletic – vital qualities for a central defender.
“We also saw he had a great pass and was brilliant in the air. For us, it was a no-brainer. I thank God that Virgil wanted to come to us.”
Groningen soon discovered they had signed a player who was physically shot.
Van Dijk had been playing for both Willem II’S Under-19s and Under-23s teams each weekend.
He was so exhausted that Groningen spent the first six months nursing him back to peak fitness.
Dick Lukkien, who was manager of Groningen’s reserve team, said: “In a way, Virgil had been abused.
“We had to stop him from carrying on training and playing like a beast. With Virgil, you need to have his trust first. He is always cautious. “It was only when he saw that I had faith in him as a player and believed in him as a big star for the future that he allowed me to be his friend and trusted coach.” Van Dijk progressed into Groningen’s first team and made a name for himself when he recovered from making a mistake in a play-off game against Den Haag in May 2011 by scoring twice to guarantee qualification to the Europa League. He turned down a move to Brighton in 2012 before Celtic made their move a year later. The defender felt he would be better served waiting for one of Holland’s big clubs to finally recognise him rather than moving to Glasgow. So he asked Groningen sporting director Hans Nijland to call Ajax technical director Marc Overmars to state his case. “Marc, this is your last chance with Van Dijk,” said Nijland. “It’s now or never.” Overmars, the former Arsenal winger who has made the Amsterdam club a profit in excess of £220m in the transfer market, told Nijland he would not sanction a bid. He had already lined a move up for Utrecht’s Mike van der Hoorn, who now plays for Swansea. So Celtic got their man – and Overmars was left with a grievous error of judgement. Almost six years on, Van Dijk sits at the top of the Premier League with his reputation growing by the week. He is captain of Holland and will lead his country into Nations League combat against England this summer.
‘A rough diamond with Eredivisie potential’