Virgil van Dijk would celebrate Christmas and New Year’s with friends and family in his home country of Holland. Thanking the Lord above, he spent this year’s holidays on a Glasgow pulpit.

He expressed gratitude for his professional football lifestyle and for having a job at all. Adversity has taught van Dijk to appreciate life’s blessings, making him mature for a 22-year-old.

Willem II nearly let go of Celtic’s £2.6 million summer acquisition six years prior due to his excessive size and slowness. After three years, when he was able to resume his career at Groningen, he lost 2.5 stone and spent 12 days in the hospital due to a serious intestinal infection. His lower tummy still bears a noticeable scar.

Pool Boy: Virgil van Dijk, who spent time in the hospital early in his career, is grateful for his football lifestyle.

The fact that he is currently one of the young, up-and-coming defenders in European football gave him ample excuse to collapse on Hogmanay.

“This New Year’s Eve, I went to church to say some prayers after spending the night with my girlfriend until ten o’clock,” he stated. I prayed for the people I love, including my girlfriend and family.

proceeded to the hotel to meet the team the following day for our game.

I used to go church every Sunday when I was younger, but as I grew older, I quit. However, I feel that praying has gotten me through some difficult circumstances on occasion.

Thankful: On New Year’s Eve, Van Dijk attended church and said prayers for his girlfriend and family.

When asked to describe the difficult moments, he lifts his Celtic training top and flashes two scars.

One is on the right side of his abdomen and measures around three inches in length. The other extends vertically from under his waist to his belly button.

Pointing to the scar on the right, he remarked, “They tried to operate on this one.” But they were unable to, so they shut it down and moved their operations to this center.

“It was an incredible surgery.” My abdomen was filled with an abscess.

“I was very sick.” The physicians declared it to be extremely risky.

Approximately 15 kg (33 pounds) were lost by me. Poisoning my system caused the abscess to nearly explode. I spent twelve days in the hospital since it was risky. I’m lucky that it didn’t explode.

However, I had several drains put into my body. Because it appeared out of nowhere, it was a concerning period.

They believed it was just stomach ache, so they gave me some medication, but it was the wrong kind.

After that, I had some green stuff in my stomach for two days. I felt sick to my stomach. I returned to the medics, and they performed several urine tests.

“They found nothing, but I had to go to the hospital the next day because I was in too much pain to bear.”

“They said that I required the surgery.”

A challenging moment: Van Dijk needed surgery to remove an abscess in his abdomen because he was really sick.

Although he remembers the procedure taking place on April 1, it was serious business for the 19-year-old football player breaking into the league. It’s obvious that the date will always be significant. And June 23, the day he came to the realization he was far from prepared to go back.

“I was terrible when I started training again.” He remarked, “I had no muscles, no power—nothing.” However, I participated in every preseason game and gradually healed. Coming back was such a wonderful feeling.

In just three years, Celtic and Ajax were showing interest in him. Neil Lennon took action, though Frank de Boer backed off.

After agreeing to a £2.6 million contract, Van Dijk has shown himself to be the best summer addition. Fast, strong in the air, and a skilled observer of the English game reports, he stated on Wednesday that Manchester City and Arsenal are now showing interest.

Van Dijk says he is “flattered” but unmoved in response. He had taught himself to live just in the present moment even before the abscess.

He added, “I was a little slow at Willem II when I was younger, at 16, and they thought I was too small.” They nearly sent me off after playing me at right back.

At the time, I was sixteen. For me, it was a really hazardous moment since they were actually discussing my being sent away.

I was among the team’s worst players. I performed poorly as a player. Little and slow, I was not excellent.

I didn’t engage in much gaming. They were just about to let me go.

However, I grew 20 centimeters the following season. That growth spurt caused issues for me with my knees.

However, after I overcame it, everything improved. I seized the opportunity Willem offered me with both hands. I assumed leadership of the group.

More significantly, he went back to playing center defense, which he always thought was his finest position. He tried every sport there was as an adolescent, and he was excellent at them all. But he’d always known he was talented at football.

He declared, “I was the kind of boy who could do anything.” I was proficient in swimming, tennis, basketball, and badminton.

I could engage in any activity. I then enrolled in a sports trainer course at my high school to prepare for coaching.I had to play a lot of sports as a result, and I did so for a while.

I enjoy playing all sports, but basketball is my favorite. I adore basketball. I doubt that I could have completed it in a professional manner.

“My goal has always been to play football.” I was usually one of the class’s better players when we played at school.

But he himself admits that doubt germinated in his thoughts as a result of the developing pains at Willem II and the stomachaches at Groningen.

When asked what he might have done in the event that everything had ended abruptly, he shrugged and said, “I might have gone back to school.”

“It is now impossible for me to imagine what my life would have been like if I had not chosen to play football.”

It would have been quite peculiar. I’m grateful for what I presently have. I love my life now because I get to do what I enjoy.

In addition, I get paid to do what I love. It is indeed a lovely thing to possess.

“Everything occurs for a purpose, and perhaps my experience was meant to be.”

But that taught me a lot. In many ways, I believe that I have improved as a person.

Grateful: The defender acknowledges that if it weren’t for football, he has no idea what he would have done.

And he’s a happier one too. His job is progressing nicely, and with girlfriend Rike Nooitgedagt’s assistance, he has an easier time adjusting to Glasgow.

“I’m glad she joined me; it’s important to have someone here to help you with everything,” he said. “She has a demanding job before coming to Scotland with me, so she does some charitable work and relaxes.”

She had to give up her job as a sales manager in Holland for me. She made a significant decision there, and I appreciate that.

“I think the main reason I have settled in so well is that she is here, which is really important.”