An Inner Drive Mistaken For Laziness: The Makings Of Van Dijk

Suddenly he was backmost wherever it each began.

Last period Virgil van Dijk made a concealed sojourn to his aged Dutch nine Willem II to bring backmost a younker shot tournament.

He said: "It's my measurement of giving backmost and helping nurture nan adjacent procreation of world-class talent. This tourney gives rising stars nan level they request to return nan adjacent measurement towards their dreams."

Fittingly, nan adjacent version of nan 'Virgil Legacy Trophy' successful September will characteristic each of nan clubs wherever Van Dijk played successful his career, positive nan likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and PSG.

And it was successful Tilburg, a Dutch metropolis successful nan confederate state of North Brabant, wherever nan existent Liverpool skipper gained invaluable insights astir shot and life.

As he prepares to assistance his 2nd Premier League title pinch Liverpool, we look astatine really nan 33-year-old centre-back learned from early setbacks to go 1 of nan champion successful nan world.

Van Dijk joined Willem II's then-acclaimed academy successful 2001 arsenic a 10-year-old.

It was a nine that had defied nan likelihood conscionable a fewer years earlier by finishing 2nd successful nan Eredivisie successful 1998-99 and reaching nan Champions League.

Shortly aft his arrival, Jan van Loon was installed arsenic academy director.

"There was really nary striker who stood a chance against him," Van Loon said. "He was physically beardown and he had a earthy talent to return balls disconnected opponents astatine precisely nan correct moment.

"I retrieve successful games we would sometimes opportunity to him: 'Watch retired Virgil, location is an force down you.' He would beryllium very relaxed, like: 'Yeah, OK, nary worries.'

"I callback a crippled against Ajax, wherever he would people their champion player. We were saying 'make judge he doesn't touch immoderate ball,' and that's precisely what Virgil would do."

Yet location was still room for improvement,

Van Loon, added: "So now and past he could travel crossed arsenic laconic, a spot excessively easy going. Maybe astatine times immoderate younker managers moreover thought of him arsenic lazy."

That image was partially created by his timekeeping, arsenic Van Dijk would sometimes get precocious for training sessions.

It moreover sewage to nan constituent wherever immoderate coaches wondered whether nan young defender should stay astatine nan club.

But erstwhile Van Loon took a person liking successful nan young footballer, he besides gained penetration into Van Dijk's individual life.

He said: "His parents were divided and astatine times he had to look aft his younger relative and sister. Sometimes he had to return them from schoolhouse and make them lunch, earlier jumping connected nan autobus to Willem II.

"That meant he could beryllium precocious now and then, and if I asked him astir nan reasons he would ever explicate successful item what had happened.

"One clip I retrieve his small relative had asked him for peanut food connected his bread, thing he had to spell and get successful nan supermarket - and subsequently he conscionable missed nan bus. That play has shaped him some arsenic a quality and footballer."

Van Dijk's awesome performances yet saw him offered a chance to play for nan 2nd team, erstwhile he was playing for Willem's under-19s.

But connected nan time of nan lucifer he had to taxable a study for school, which he hadn't completed. School was paramount for nan club, truthful he risked missing his large break,

"I said to Virgil: 'Let's look for a solution together'," Van Loon added. "He was really celebrated pinch his classmates, not because he was a footballer but conscionable arsenic a quality being.

"He asked a fewer of his peers and everything was done successful time. Not that they wrote nan assignment, but they did thief him. The nighttime earlier nan crippled I sewage a connection from nan coach saying everything was fine.

"That coach besides played his part. That's why I ever opportunity it takes a colony to raise a child. You request respective group astir you to push you successful nan correct direction."

Van Loon, who besides had a spell arsenic caput of coaching astatine Arsenal's academy, noticed really Van Dijk nurtured his group skills by recognising who could thief him.

He said: "He developed a accomplishment to combine group astir him who would beryllium champion for his career. He would inquire for other attraction from nan champion unit members, because he instinctively felt they could make him better.

"That was very special, I besides saw that pinch players for illustration Bukayo Saka and Frenkie de Jong, who were besides successful nan academy of Willem II.

"At nan nine location was an workout physiologist, who knew really to subordinate spot training to nan domiciled of centre-back. When exercises were finished, Virgil said: 'No, we'll proceed for a while.' There you could spot his soul drive, moreover though immoderate different coaches had an belief that he was lazy."

As a teenager, Van Dijk mixed his clip playing astatine nan Willem II academy pinch a part-time occupation arsenic a dishwasher.

But, contempt increasing successful stature and switching from right-back to centre-back, not everyone was convinced by Van Dijk astatine Willem and clubs hesitated to connection him a first master contract.

"Inside nan nine location wasn't a unanimous sentiment astir him and I deliberation Virgil felt that, that nan opinions of nan method group were divided," Van Loon said.

FC Groningen took nan opportunity and signed a 19-year-old Van Dijk successful 2010 - contempt Willem yet making him an offer.

The defender felt his ain nine were precocious pinch their connection and opted to return a different way successful his career.

He made his master debut successful May 2011 and impressed successful his first afloat play nan twelvemonth aft - until superior unwellness stopped him successful his tracks.

It took 2 trips to different hospitals to diagnose him pinch appendicitis, peritonitis and a kidney infection, and he had to beryllium operated connected consecutive away.

Van Dijk, said astatine nan time: "My assemblage was surgery and I couldn't do anything. At specified a moment, nan worst scenarios are whizzing astir your head. For nan first clip successful my life, shot was very overmuch a broadside issue. My life was astatine risk.

"At immoderate constituent I had to motion immoderate papers. It was a benignant of testament. If I died, a portion of my money would spell to my mum."

The cognition went good but, contempt a speedy betterment and immoderate awesome performances, nan apical clubs successful Holland didn't definitive a large interest.

It was past Celtic signed him for astir £2.5m successful 2013.

"He came successful nan first time and trained. I had a chat pinch him and said 'enjoy yourself present because I don't deliberation you'll beryllium present long'," past head Neil Lennon recalls.

"He's sewage pace, composure, physicality, technically brilliant. The advancement was intolerable to stop. He was specified a bully subordinate - astir apt nan champion I've worked pinch arsenic a manager."

After 2 seasons, including 2 convention titles and a Scottish Cup, Van Dijk moved to Southampton.

"I ever thought he had nan crippled and he's proven that," said Lennon. "He could play for immoderate squad successful nan world and I'm amazed Manchester United aliases Manchester City, Barcelona aliases Real Madrid didn't travel successful and bargain him alternatively than Liverpool astatine nan time."

Van Dijk became nan world's astir costly defender erstwhile he signed for Liverpool successful 2018 for £75m.

He has since won nan Champions League, Premier League, an FA Cup, 2 League Cups, nan Club World Cup and won nan 2019 UEFA subordinate of nan twelvemonth award. He is now conscionable 1 triumph distant from his 2nd Premier League title.

Van Loon, said: "He has adapted to caller and much challenging situations. He has go skipper and nan measurement he deals pinch nan coaching unit and property is very impressive.

"I'm very proud of what he has achieved. And he did it himself, location is no-one who solved things for him.

"He had to propulsion nan strings and return nan initiative. It gives specified a boost to young group who whitethorn besides commencement pinch thing and who activity to execute their goals successful life."