After months of uncertainty, Virgil van Dijk has finally put pen to paper on a new two-year contract with Liverpool. Here we take a closer look at the Reds captain’s life
Since signing from Southampton in January 2018, Virgil van Dijk has become a Liverpool icon and one of the world’s most formidable defenders.
After months of uncertainty over his future, the Reds captain has committed his future to Liverpool. Hot on the heels of Mohamed Salah, who signed a new deal earlier in the month, Van Dijk has eased fans’ worries by agreeing to another two years on Merseyside.
With Liverpool closing in on their second Premier League crown in six years, it’s likely that the famous trophy will be Van Dijk’s ninth major accolade since arriving at Anfield.
Liverpool fans are rejoicing over the news that their Champions League-winning talisman is here to stay, and Mirror Football has taken a closer look at the club’s Dutch colossus.
Net worth
Van Dijk is estimated to have a net worth of almost £23million. The Dutchman’s last Liverpool deal, signed in 2021, saw him earn a base salary of £11.4m per year. However, his new deal is thought to be in the region of £350,000/£400,000 per week.
In addition to his club earnings, the 33-year-old also earns a hefty amount through his various endorsements, which include deals with Nike, EA Sports, Heineken, and Cadbury.
His wife
Van Dijk met his wife, Rike Nooitgedagt, when he was 20 years old, with both of them growing up in Breda in the Netherlands. The couple got married in 2017 and now have two children together, Nila and Jadi.
Nooitgedagt worked as a fashion sales manager in her native country. However, when Van Dijk moved to Glasgow in 2013 to join Celtic, she left her career behind and followed her partner to Scotland.
While she keeps a low profile on social media, she has spoken in the past about her life with Van Dijk. “I worked as a sales manager and sold different fashion brands to the stores in Holland,” she previously said. “I loved it but had to resign to follow my man everywhere football takes him to.”
She also gave a small insight into her life with Van Dijk when they first moved to the UK, adding: “So far, we’ve been settling well and having adventures with our lovely dog.”
New Liverpool contract
Van Dijk has made 314 appearances for the Reds and was named Liverpool captain in 2023 following Jordan Henderson’s departure. The idea that he would leave after so much success with the Reds seemed unfathomable, and his contract extension, which takes him to 2027 at the least, has cemented his legendary status with the Kop faithful.
“It was always Liverpool,” Van Dijk said. “That was the case. It was always in my head, it was always the plan, and it was always Liverpool. Someone called me the other day an adopted Scouser – I’m really proud to hear these things, it gives me a great feeling.”
The house he rented from a Man United icon
Despite being sworn enemies on the pitch, the Liverpool star once received a helping hand by renting a Cheshire mansion owned by former Manchester United player and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Solskjaer had owned the property since his playing days at Old Trafford. However, when he was on the cusp of taking the United job in 2019, he was looking for a base close to Manchester so that he could bring his family to live with him.
This forced the 52-year-old to consider the home he had leased to the Van Dijks. Asked about the situation, the Norwegian jokingly said: “Yeah, he’s [Van Dijk] evicted.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
