{"id":215114,"date":"2025-09-10T09:10:16","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T09:10:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/215114\/"},"modified":"2025-09-10T09:10:16","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T09:10:16","slug":"virgil-van-dijk-honoured-as-former-club-name-stand-after-him-liverpool-fc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/215114\/","title":{"rendered":"Virgil van Dijk honoured as former club name stand after him – Liverpool FC"},"content":{"rendered":"

Virgil van Dijk<\/a> has had a stand named after him by former club Willem II, who hope his continued involvement will \u201cshow our youth players that dreams are achievable.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n

Van Dijk\u2019s influence spreads beyond the pitch and even beyond Merseyside, with the Netherlands captain fronting the rebranded Virgil\u2019s Legacy Trophy tournament this summer.<\/p>\n

Taking place this month in Tilburg, the home of Willem II, the U13s tournament will include sides from all of Van Dijk\u2019s former clubs \u2013 Willem II, Gronigen, Celtic, Southampton<\/a> and Liverpool \u2013 as well as 11 others.<\/p>\n

And to mark the occasion, Willem II have renamed the main stand<\/a> at their youth stadium to the Virgil van Dijk<\/a> Tribune.<\/p>\n

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\u201cVirgil means so much to Willem II and to our youth academy,\u201d general manager Merijn Goris explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to give him something lasting.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis tribute is not only a thank you for bringing back the international youth tournament, but also an inspiration to our youth players.<\/p>\n

\u201cVirgil 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"LIVERPOOL,<\/p>\n

Van Dijk spent 11 years in the academy at Willem II before departing for FC Groningen in 2010, making his professional debut soon after.<\/p>\n

From there he headed to the UK for stints at Celtic and then Southampton<\/a> before his defining \u00a375 million move to Liverpool in 2018.<\/p>\n

Now wearing the armband at Anfield, Van Dijk is widely considered one of the best and most important players in the club\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

\"LONDON,<\/p>\n

He said of this week\u2019s honour: \u201cIt makes me incredibly proud that the stand at the youth academy is named after me.<\/p>\n

\u201cWillem II played an important role in my life and in my development as a young player. That this is now being recognised in this way means a great deal to me and my family.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a very special tribute, and I appreciate the warmth and connection I still feel with the club.\u201d<\/p>\n

Liverpool will face Bayer Leverkusen<\/a>, Paris Saint-Germain and Willem II in Group B of the Virgil\u2019s Legacy Trophy, which takes place over this weekend (September 13 and 14).<\/p>\n

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