Virgil Van Dijk was on the verge of losing his life in 2012, way before he was awarded the UEFA player of the year award last night.
Virgil Van Dijk is undoubtedly the best defender in the world and among the best players of this generation, and last night’s award has confirmed this claim.
However, way before winning this trophy, Van Dijk was on the verge of losing his life in 2012, while he was playing in FC Groningen at the age of 20, way before he raised himself to the fame.
He took ill after an Eredivisie game against Excelsior but officials thought it was just common sickness until later it emerged he had appendicitis, peritonitis and a kidney infection.
“Virgil was ill, but we didn’t know the extent,” Groningen reserve coach Dick Lukkien told FourFourTwo In an interview.
“At first we thought he had the flu. He was at home for a few days and in lots of pain. He went to the local hospital but they couldn’t find anything, so sent him back home again.
“The pain got worse and when his mum travelled to see him, she realised how bad the situation was. She took him to another hospital, which turned out to be crucial.
“I was shocked. When he returned to the club, he had changed from a big man into a shrivelled person. Luckily he managed to recover quite quickly.”
Van Dijk had to go through a life-saving surgery and and sidelined for the final two months of the season so he could make a recovery.
Although, things for Van Dijk got so worse that the Dutch International had to write a will for his mother, in case he had lost his life, while suffering.
“I still remember lying in that bed,” the centre-back was quoted as saying in 2012.”The only thing I could see were tubes dangling out of me. My body was broken and I couldn’t do anything.
“At such a moment, the worst scenarios were whizzing around your head. My life was at risk. My mum and I prayed to God and discussed possible scenarios. At some point I had to sign some papers. It was a kind of testament.
“If I died, a part of my money would go to my mum. Of course, nobody wanted to talk about it, but we had to do that. It could have been over.”
After seven years, things are going well for Van Dijk, as he is in his peak years, and considered the best defender in the world, meanwhile, he is leading his national side under his captain-ship.
