Virgil van Dijk has been nothing short of a revelation for Liverpool since arriving at the start of 2018 and with Thursday his 30th birthday, here are 30 of his incredible achievements.
The Dutchman has played a pivotal role in the Reds’ rise to the top of world football in recent years, a transformational signing who swiftly ensured his £75 million price tag was a bargain.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY VIRGIL; VAN DIJK
![Virgil van Dijk celebrates his 31st birthday with incredible club records](https://scontent-los2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/290999039_463735809086541_612273833505000530_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s600x600&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5cd70e&_nc_eui2=AeHnp4uYxLOnInlv3fjOQbd4Sf6RP67Wq4tJ_pE_rtari8ECV7jUpfgFfXioU5gI8nzZwziVXZAzGcDo6KfhHMq5&_nc_ohc=A2kCr6k2WFIAX-nyyg4&_nc_ht=scontent-los2-1.xx&oh=00_AT89fC2ww7-Owzz1RjKOeoBSc7b7HksEbniFOhqksu1dOQ&oe=62CBE95F)
Here are 30 of the best since he officially arrived at Anfield, in January 2018:
– The most expensive transfer in Liverpool’s history following his £75 million transfer from Southampton
– Only the 18th player to score on his Liverpool debut in the modern era
– The fourth Dutchman to ever win PFA Player of the Year
– The fifth player to play every top-flight game in a Premier League-winning season
– Has never lost a league game at Anfield, winning 42 of his 47 outings on the ground
– Only the 24th player to score on his Anfield debut
– Played every single minute in 74 consecutive Premier League games – a run that stretched from Sep 2018 – Oct 2020
– Finished second in the Ballon d’Or in 2019
– The first defender to be crowned UEFA Men’s Player of the Year
– Did not have a player successfully dribble past him in 50 Premier League appearances
– First defender to have a 99 rated card on FIFA
– The second-ever Liverpool FIFA cover star
– Was only the twelfth defender to make it into the top three of Ballon d’Or
– The first Liverpool player to start every game in back-to-back seasons in the Premier League era (2018/19 and 2019/20)
– Held record for most completed passes in one half of football in Premier League with 77, in the 3-1 win over Arsenal in September 2020 – surpassing Thiago
– Became the first Red to win UEFA Defender of the Season in 2018/19
– Only second Dutchman to wear the captain’s armband for Liverpool, behind Dirk Kuyt
– One of only four players to be named in FIFA FIFPro World11 in two different seasons
– Has tasted defeat just 21 times in a total of 130 appearances for Liverpool
– The sixth defender to win the PFA Player of the Year across 46 seasons
– From January 2018 to September 2020, no center-back scored more than Van Dijk (10) in the Premier League
– The only Liverpool player to feature for every single minute of the club’s remarkable 44-game unbeaten run in the Premier League from January 2019 to February 2020.
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