In Holland, Virgil van Dijk usually celebrates Christmas and New Year with his friends and family. However, this year he was in Glasgow during the holidays, expressing gratitude to the Almighty from a pulpit.
He felt grateful for being a pro football player and having a career. Despite facing challenges, Van Dijk, at just 22, learned to value the good things in life.
Six years ago, Willem II thought Virgil van Dijk was too slow and too big for Celtic, almost selling him for £2.6 million. Later, after a three-year break in his career at Groningen, he lost weight due to a severe intestinal infection, spending 12 days in the hospital and now has a visible scar on his lower abdomen. Despite the challenges, van Dijk, now a football star, is grateful for his current football lifestyle.
He slipped on New Year’s Eve, but it’s okay because he’s a young and up-and-coming defender in European football.
During New Year’s Eve, I spent time with my girlfriend until ten o’clock, and then I went to church to pray for my family, my partner, and everyone I care about. Later, I went to a hotel to meet my team for our game the next day.
When I was younger, I used to go to church every Sunday, but as I got older, I stopped. However, I believe that prayer has helped me through tough times.
I’m grateful for Van Dijk, who went to church on New Year’s Eve and prayed for his girlfriend and her family. He shared two scars on his abdomen, one around three inches long on the right side and another vertical one from his belly button to beneath his waist. He underwent surgery for an abscess in his abdomen, a dangerous situation that required a 12-day hospital stay.
Van Dijk lost about 15 kg (33 pounds) during this illness. The doctors initially misdiagnosed it as a stomach ache, but eventually, they realized the severity of the situation and performed surgery. Despite the difficult time and a slow recovery, he played in every preseason game and felt great to be back, even though the surgery happened on April 1 when he was 19 years old, making his league debut. The date will always be significant for him, and on June 23, he realized he wasn’t ready to return.
Celtic and Ajax were interested in him within just three years. Frank de Boer stepped back, but Neil Lennon stepped forward.
Van Dijk has proven to be the best summer recruit after accepting a £2.6 million contract. He’s fast, strong in the air, and a keen observer of English game reports. On Wednesday, he mentioned that Arsenal and Manchester City are now showing interest.
Van Dijk feels “flattered” but is not completely convinced. Even before the setback, he learned to focus on the present.
“When I was younger, at 16, I was struggling at Willem II. They thought I was too small and slow. They played me at right back and almost had me sent off.
I was about to be released. I was one of the weakest players. I wasn’t very good. I was small and slow.
But the next season, I grew 20 centimeters in height. I had knee problems due to the growth spurt. After overcoming it, everything got better. I seized the chance Willem presented to me and became the group’s leader.
Most importantly, I returned to playing center defense, which I always believed was my best position. During my teenage years, I excelled in every sport, but I always knew I was a gifted football player.
“I was the kind of boy who could do anything,” he said. I was good at badminton, basketball, tennis, and swimming. I could do everything I wanted.
Playing football has always been my goal. When we played at school, I was generally one of the better players.
However, doubt started to creep in due to discomfort at Willem II and nausea at Groningen.
“I might have gone back to school,” he said when asked what he would have done if everything had ended suddenly.
“I can no longer fathom the kind of life I would have had if I hadn’t decided to play football.”
But I learned a lot from that. I think that as a person, I’ve come a long way.
He is grateful for what he has now. His work is going well, and he’s adjusting to Glasgow with the support of his girlfriend, Rike Nooitgedagt.
“I’m happy she came along; having someone here to support you with everything is important,” he remarked.
“She is here, which is really important, and I think that’s the main reason I have settled in so well.”
