The road to where Virgil van Dijk is today—rightfully hailed as one of the top center backs in the world and with a solid claim to be labeled first among equals—was far from smooth.

Even the player in question, a youthful Van Dijk, could not have imagined his career taking off the way it has. However, how exactly has Van Dijk become so successful?

Simple origins

After starting out at Willem II’s development academy, the 27-year-old Dutchman moved on to FC Groningen.

Throughout his formative years, he was never at ease. First things first, expanding in size was not without its challenges.

“I felt a little unsteady on my knee. My lower back hurt. His latest interview with BBC Radio 5 Live revealed that he experienced a slew of problems before undergoing real therapy and spending six weeks away from the world. “After that, my performance on the field improved.”

The youthful Van Dijk, though, wasn’t playing his now-typical central defensive position. He, like many of his countrymen, would transition from a different position. For instance, Ruud van Nistelrooy’s brutal achievements in the area can be more understood given that he began his career in goal.

In the instance of Van Dijk, it was not that severe. Even if he wasn’t exactly a model of a contemporary full-back and a job switch was never in the cards, he was being stationed close at right-back, thus defense has always been his strong suit.

A sluggish right-back who wasn’t good enough to play center-back was him when he was sixteen years old, he said. Up until I captained the U19 team at Willem II, I was a solid player but never really stood out.

After then, things improved significantly. Following my brief stint with the U23s, everything moved at a brisk pace.

And it did go by quickly. He made it into FC Groningen’s first team and appeared in 66 games, showing glimpses of potential throughout his career.

With seven goals scored from open play or dead-ball situations, Van Dijk proved to be an attacking danger in addition to being a good defender who shone in terms of reading the game and getting the better of attackers.

An alternative course of action

As a typical progression for players from middle-tier Eredivisie clubs, the next step is to join one of the three major clubs in Dutch football: Ajax, Feyenoord, or PSV Eindhoven.

The Amsterdammers signed Mike van der Hoorn, who is currently with Swansea City, instead of Van Dijk, who is linked to Ajax. Even at the time, some people thought it was a mistake. Now, of course, they can see clearly.

It was Van Dijk who said he had taken a peculiar route.

He told The Times in 2016 that his journey had not been the usual one for a Dutch footballer.

The typical route starts at Groningen and ends with a major club in Holland or another major team elsewhere. Luis Suarez, for instance, traveled from Groningen to Ajax and then Liverpool after arriving in Holland.

The bigger clubs were afraid to touch me, personally. I was uncertainly considered by Ajax, Feyenoord, PSV, and AZ. We had to decide whether to sit tight and hope for the best or to travel to Celtic.

Obviously, Celtic benefited from their loss, and the move was successful in the end. While playing at Celtic Park, Van Dijk blossomed into a fearsome free-kick taker and generally became a better footballer overall.

His growth was hastened by his exposure to Champions League games and his encounters with the top European players.

Despite receiving two call-ups in late 2014, this achievement was not sufficient for an international appearance. His long-awaited debut came in a match against Kazakhstan in October 2015, shortly after he joined Southampton in England’s top flight.

Van Dijk had already begun to ascend the ladder. Even though they were losing ground, some still had reservations. Southampton was in for a tough battle as it became more apparent that he was one of very few Premier League rivals.

He had outgrown St. Mary’s, and representing one of Europe’s powerhouse clubs was the next obvious step, which was unfortunate for them. At the same time as he was itching, Liverpool was looking for a defensive commander. They were mutually dependent.

He declares, “They gave everything to get me and I want to give everything for them.” You are always made to feel like family when you play for our club.

“That’s why I was really interested in joining this club’s roster.”

We can declare it has been a blissful marriage after more than 60 games for the Reds. Being a behemoth on a placid lake is one thing, but Van Dijk has excelled under intense scrutiny. Not merely for his team, either.

After an unexpected third place result at the 2014 World Cup, the Dutch national team has had a rough go of it.

Their subsequent ineligibility for the 2016 European Championship and the 2018 FIFA World Cup has further set them behind. However, results are beginning to show for the arrival of Ronald Koeman as manager, who promptly gave Van Dijk the captain’s armband.

Oranje lost to Germany and France in the semi-finals of the first UEFA Nations League, but Van Dijk was instrumental in their run to the finals. This summer, they’ll face England, a high-flying team, and Van Dijk might bring a personal trophy into the match.

Even if Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero of Manchester City are strong contenders, he is still the heavy favorite to win the PFA Player of the Year award this season, following in the footsteps of Mohamed Salah and his teammate.

The fading skill of protecting

Yet, there is substantial evidence in favor of Van Dijk. Although there have been some setbacks (and he is far from perfect), the influence of the Breda-born behemoth is undeniable, and it is just one of many reasons why Liverpool is making such a strong title drive as they seek to end a 29-year wait.

Putting away the statistics, there have been occasions when he has seemed like a lone-wolf wrecking crew, improving everyone around him in the process. The most recent example of this is their thrilling victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

The away team should have taken the lead after bouncing back from a goal down to tie the game at Anfield. However, Moussa Sissoko messed up his lines as he and Heung-min Son were rushing toward the goal. The fact that Van Dijk showed how to defend against two players was a contributing factor.

“I notice Sissoko, and I know he’s got good feet, and Son usually finishes these opportunities,” he explained afterwards. “So yeah, that’s how I make my decision.”

Liverpool paid over £70 million for Van Dijk, and that’s why. Sky Sports was informed by Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Gary Neville, an expert at defending strikers, thinks Liverpool’s No. 4 is now a model for younger players.

Virgil van Dijk is a player you need to keep an eye on, he said with abandon. He chooses the one that is least bad. Sissoko can block Son’s pass by using his left foot.

You get to decide: out of these, which one do you want to take the shot? He’s not going to win. Hi, I’m Sissoko. Very effective defense.

The argument will continue. And, to be honest, there might never be a unanimous agreement. The fact that Van Dijk should not be included in the discussion, however, is now irrelevant. An outstanding center defender is right here in front of our eyes. Making the commonplace spectacular is a part of his genius.

It has been quite a journey for him from a helpless right back to a towering force of nature central to Liverpool’s and Oranje’s defense, and the terrifying thing is that he is only just beginning to reach his full potential.