Virgil van Dijk has revealed winning Liverpool’s first League title in 30 years will be made more special by his own personal journey to club football’s pinnacle.
From humble beginnings in Dutch football at the Willem 11 academy where he struggled to convince coaches he had a future to the hero of the Kop – Van Dijk’s road to success has been long and winding.
But as he stands on the brink of history with Liverpool – Coronavirus permitting – the 28-year-old Dutch defender isn’t forgetting his past.
And when football finally returns after the professional game suspension and he celebrates Anfield’s first ever Premier League trophy Van Dijk will remember his struggles to carve a career that’s now a glittering success.
“For me personally wining the Champions League was a dream come true but winning the Premier League will also be a dream come true.
“I have been young and playing in lower league teams in Holland and coming to the Premier League and winning it will be outstanding.
“The same goes for winning the PFA Player of the Year last year and UEFA Player of the Year.
“Those moments will be up there are well, but that said I won’t take anything for granted” says Van Dijk.
“Coming from where I have in football, through Willem 11 to Groningen and then on to Celtic before Southampton and Liverpool, of course it will make it mean more.
“I don’t take my personal journey for granted at all and it makes it special for me and my family and it will always be. It is why it is easy for me to deal with pressure.
“When I first came here I wanted to win everything. As a player at such a club like Liverpool you want to compete for all the trophies, whether it’s the League Cup, FA Cup.
“But obviously you want to deliver the Premier League to this club. It has been so long I wasn’t even born and is something the club is definitely hungry for.
“But also for the Champions League, which was a dream come true for me, and so if winning the league happens it will also be a dream come true.”
When the moment finally comes for Liverpool and Van Dijk – in an empty stadium, sat at home without kicking a ball or in front of the Kop – the defender believes it will still be the sweetest feeling.
Liverpool’s title win might not have the drama of a last day win like Manchester City in 2012.
They’ve been runaway leaders for months with, at times, an unassailable 25 point lead.
But the second they become champions will trigger an explosion of joy for the £75million Dutchman.
“Will it be an anti-climax? What do you think? No! We should enjoy it even more because of the wait.
“To win the league here is something that we can all be remembered for and will be remembered for.
“We should just go for it and we are very close now. Just enjoy it.”
Despite crashing out of the Champions League last 16 to Atletico Madrid at Anfield, Liverpool can still eclipse City’s 100 point Premier League record set in 2018.
But Van Dijk’s priority is securing the title first.
“We don’t play for records, we play for trophies. I have been here now almost two-and-a-half years and been very blessed and happy to have experienced two Champions League finals.
“We won one of them and I was very close to the Premier League title last year and now very close to the Premier League this year.
“That is something the club is waiting for and is dreaming of, so let’s just go for it and see what happens in the next weeks and months and be positive.”
With the Coronavirus pandemic shutting down sport, it’s unclear when Liverpool will be crowned champions.
But when it happens Van Dijk knows who he’ll dedicate to.
"My wife and kids, I guess. They sacrifice so much day in and day out," says the Dutchman.
"What they do for me and our life is incredible and are a big part of my success and I remind them every day of that.”
