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Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has been honored by his boyhood club, Willem II Tilburg, with a stand at their academy named after him. The 33-year-old Dutch defender started his youth career with the Netherlands side in 1999 and stayed for 11 years before moving on.
Since leaving Willem II, Van Dijk has won major titles with Celtic and Liverpool, where he was appointed captain in 2023. He also captained his country the previous year. In recognition of his inspirational career, Willem II have bestowed this new honour upon him. It comes after Van Dijk sung the praises of a forgotten former Manchester United star.
The club confirmed in a statement that the main stand at their academy's Sportpark Prinsenhoeve will now be known as the 'Virgil van Dijk Tribune'.
They described the naming as a special gift to Van Dijk, expressing appreciation for the impressive career of their former youth player who has become one of the world's top defenders.
Van Dijk attended the renaming ceremony and expressed his pride: "It makes me incredibly proud that the stand at the youth academy is named after me. Willem II played an important role in my life and in my development as a young player."
He added: "That this is now being recognised in this way means a great deal to me and my family. It's a very special tribute, and I appreciate the warmth and connection I still feel with the club."
Merijn Goris, Willem II's general manager, said: "Virgil means so much to Willem II and to our youth academy. We wanted to give him something lasting.
"Virgil is the perfect example of what hard work and perseverance can lead to. With this tribute, we show our youth players that dreams are achievable."
The reveal of the stand bearing Van Dijk's name comes just days ahead of the inaugural edition of the defender's fresh youth tournament at Sportpark Prinsenhoeve.
The Virgil's Legacy Trophy, commencing on Friday, will witness 16 youth sides from around the world converge on Tilburg.
Liverpool's Under-13s feature amongst the competing teams and have been drawn in a group with Bayer Leverkusen, Paris Saint-Germain, and Willem II.
Van Dijk commented: "A tremendous amount of work has gone into making this tournament a success. On Friday, 300 youth players from all over the world will arrive in Tilburg. It will be a fantastic experience for the players, staff, and families."
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