Virgil van Dijk played a part in the youth education of Willem II, among others, but was not seen as one of the greatest talents at the time. The defender was not offered a contract and left for FC Groningen at the age of nineteen. Frank Evenblij, TV presenter and a well-known supporter of the Tilburgers, finds it a shame that Van Dijk never played in the King Willem II Stadium.
“Van Dijk always stayed below the radar at Willem II. When Frenkie de Jong played in the youth, Frenkie de Jong buzzed around:’ That is the future of Dutch football’. You couldn’t hear anyone about Van Dijk”, recalls Evenblij in de Volkskrant. Analyst and former football player Pierre van Hooijdonk sees Van Dijk as a modern defender in Van Dijk:”Not only because of his physical and mental strength, he is also very strong. I see in him a future leader of Orange. Liverpool has done an excellent move.
At his debut match against Everton in the third round of the FA Cup, Van Dijk made the winning goal on Thursday. The supporters of Liverpool already walk away with the mandekker, but according to Van Hooijdonk, robust types such as Van Dijk in the Netherlands get too little appreciation,”We are only excited here by small, mobile, technical players. We prefer to put a dwarf with a good play-in pass in the back rather than a tiny little bit of woody, long guy who can make a good head”.
Do you see Virgil van Dijk taking a step up in the future?
