The Dutchman has had quite the impact since moving to England in 2015, excelling at Southampton and helping Liverpool win a number of trophies, including their first league title in 30 years.
The defender’s currently out of action through injury but when he returns, you’ll notice he doesn’t have his surname on the back of his shirt.
The 31 year old’s never revealed why this is the case but after a bit of digging, we’ve discovered the reason.
According to his uncle on his mother’s side Steven Fo Sieeuw, Van Djik’s dropped his second name because of a family feud.
“His dad split with his mother and his three children, including Virgil,” Fo Sieeuw told The Sun back in 2018.
“The truth is his dad was not around for so many important years and it is his mother who is the real hero of this story.
It’s understood that Van Dijk’s siblings have dropped their second names too.
“You don’t take your dad’s name off your shirt without a reason and Virgil has made it very clear how he feels,” Fo Sieeuw continued.
“Ron [Van Dijk] is a nice guy but you need to be more than that to be a good father. You have to be there for your children. Ron married again and his new wife was very domineering, so he didn’t see his kids much.
I feel for Virgil, it’s like he’s been caught in the middle.”
Van Dijk’s not the only footballer to play with just their forename on the back of their shirt.
Former Tottenham star Dele Alli dropped his surname back in 2016, claiming he felt no connection to it, with Van Dijk’s compatriot Memphis Depay doing the same for family reasons.
Discussion about this post