Why Virgil Van Dijk Has Refused to Use His Surname on Back of Jersey

• Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has used his first name on his jerseys throughout his professional career
• The Netherlands international dropped his father's surname from his shirt over an old family feud
• Van Dijk has reportedly never forgiven his father, Ron van Dijk, for walking out on his mum Hellen

Virgil van Dijk is widely regarded as one of the top defenders in global football and recently led the Netherlands to the semifinals of Euro 2024.

Despite his strong defensive efforts, he could not stop England's comeback, which secured their place in the final.

At the start of this season, Van Dijk was named Liverpool's permanent captain, taking over from Jordan Henderson, who moved to the Saudi Pro League.

Under his leadership, Liverpool won the Carabao Cup with a 1-0 victory over Chelsea, thanks to Van Dijk. This marked the Dutch defender's first trophy as captain, as reported by Goal.

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Reactions to the picture:

Here are some of the responses to Van Dijik's picture:

@icicestparis19:

"Heesss Back!Yeahhhh."

@kileboy_:

"Well, he is actually."

@ikruuzhiglan:

"VVD is the best CB in the world."

@sahad_kunnoth:

"Still no.1 cb in the world."

@rmo.football:

"Virgil is still the best defender in the world."

@najadhh.__:

"The game is next level 👏👏❤️ I loved it."

@rishal_rshl:

"Bro think he is him."

@mikepittt:

"Best CB of the modern era."

Why Van Dijk has his first name on his shirt

Fans may have noticed that Van Dijk's shirt features only his first name, 'Virgil,' rather than his surname.

The 32-year-old opted not to use his father's surname following a family dispute at the age of 12.

Close relatives of the Liverpool defender assert that he has never forgiven his father for abandoning his mother, Helen.

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According to Steven Fo Sieeuw, Van Dijk's maternal uncle, this decision reflects his relationship with his father.

"His dad split with his mother and three children, including Virgil," he said via Talksport 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.

"You don't take your dad's name off your shirt without a reason, and Virgil has made it very clear how he feels."

Van Dijk's personal life was thrown into turmoil when his parents split up when he was young.

Van Dijk parties with De Bruyne

Virgil Van Dijk and Kevin De Bruyne have battled it out on the pitch for much of the past nine Premier League seasons.

Recently, they were spotted enjoying a night out with DJ Calvin Harris at an Ibiza resort. Both stars are set to reunite with their teams in the US as pre-season kicks off.

Source: YEN.com.gh