Virgil van Dijk celebrated his one-time return to Groningen on Tuesday evening with a goal for the Dutch national team against Malta (8-0 victory). The 33-year-old captain spoke of a perfect evening.
Before Van Dijk addresses the media in the mixed zone of the Euroborg in Groningen, he first walks with his four children towards the field. The children run enthusiastically onto the grass, while Van Dijk watches from the sidelines.
He takes out his phone to capture the scene. “It was a beautiful moment,” Oranje captain Van Dijk later says in the mixed zone. “I think only the oldest two realized it, but it’s nice to show them where I started.”
Van Dijk played for FC Groningen between 2010 and 2013. He came from the youth academy of Willem II and made his debut in the Groningen first team a little over a year later.
Although Van Dijk has been away from Groningen for twelve years and confirmed this week that he will not return to the club, the Groningen club has a special place in Van Dijk’s heart. “Hearing the national anthem in Groningen tonight was extra special, especially as captain. But the best thing was that my wife and kids were there. When they are there, it means a lot to me. This was a nice evening.”
Premonition in treatment room
It wasn’t just a return to Euroborg for Van Dijk: the defender also scored. Van Dijk scored for the first time since October 7, 2012 in the Groningen stadium. At the time, Feyenoord was held to a 2-2 draw at home.
On Tuesday evening, Van Dijk scored after twenty minutes, after a clever combination with Frenkie de Jong. “I said to Frenkie: ‘Just pass it, boy’. He did. The ball went in nicely. If you play here, you have to score.”
Van Dijk already had a premonition that he would score his ninth international goal in Groningen. “I was talking about it with Nathan Aké in the treatment room before the match. I said it had been a long time since I had scored. A goal would be nice, I thought. Especially from a distance.”
After a tough season with Liverpool and the national team, Van Dijk can finally go on vacation. He, like the other Liverpool players, has four weeks to recharge for the new season.
Van Dijk is looking forward to his free weeks. “I’m really looking forward to the sun. We’re not doing anything at all for the first few days. Maybe we’ll get a little more active later in the holiday.”