Virgil van Dijk

Captain of the Netherlands and one of the finest defenders of his generation. Van Dijk joined Liverpool for a then-record £75 million in January 2018 and transformed the club's defence, winning the Champions League, Premier League, and multiple domestic cups. He finished runner-up for the 2019 Ballon d'Or.

Van Dijk progressed from FC Groningen through Celtic and Southampton before Liverpool signed him for £75 million in January 2018 — a world-record fee for a defender at the time. He immediately steadied the Reds' backline, playing a central role in the 2018–19 Champions League triumph and the 2019–20 Premier League title win that ended a 30-year league drought. He was named UEFA Men's Player of the Year in 2019.

After recovering from a serious ACL injury suffered in 2020, van Dijk returned to form and captained both Liverpool and the Netherlands. He helped Liverpool to further trophy success including a second Premier League title in 2024–25, and led the Netherlands to the Euro 2024 semi-finals, earning a bronze medal.