Virgil van Dijk's net worth, personal life and OneLove armband criticism

Coming from humble beginnings, Virgil van Dijk has shown great determination and grit in reaching the top. While he was still a great defender before moving to Liverpool, his best form came when he joined the club in 2018.

Since his move to Merseyside, Van Dijk has won almost everything a player could win when it comes to collective accolades. Right now, the player is chasing a second Premier League title as Liverpool are leading the race and sit on top of the table

Apart from domestic honours, the club is also in contention to win the Champions League this season as they finished top of the new-look league phase of the competition. As Van Dijk focuses on leading his team to more silverware, Mirror Football have taken a look at his net worth, personal life and potential summer exit from Liverpool.

Virgil van Dijk's net worth

Van Dijk's contract with Liverpool is set to expire in the summer and he is yet to agree terms to keep him at the club beyond the current season. The Dutchman last signed a deal in 2021, which sees him earn a base salary of £11.4m per year.

Apart from his earnings from Liverpool, the 33-year-old also earns a lot through his various endorsements. Some of his brand endorsements include Nike, EA Sports, Heineken and Cadbury.

Van Dijk's exact net worth remains undisclosed, but there’s no doubt his earnings have skyrocketed since he moved to Liverpool. According to  OneFootball, the Dutchman is worth approximately £42m.

Virgil van Dijk's wife

Van Dijk met his future wife Rike Nooitgedagt when he was just 20 years old. After a long-term relationship, the couple got married in 2017. They have four children together with the first one, Nila Van Dijk, being born in 2014. Their second child, Jadi, followed soon in 2016. Details about their third and fourth children are relatively unknown.

Nooitgedagt worked as a fashion sales manager in the Netherlands working for various brands. However, when Van Dijk moved to Glasgow in 2013 to join Celtic, she left her career behind and followed her partner to Scotland.

As of now, it is not known if she is working or not. However, it is safe to say that she has been a true source of support for the Liverpool man and has been with him during his highs and lows.

Criticism for not wearing OneLove armbands

During the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Van Dijk was subjected to a lot of criticism after deciding to drop the OneLove armband. In 2020, Dutch Football Association launched the OneLove campaign to promote diversity and inclusion in football.

However, same-sex relationships and the promotion of same-sex relationships are criminalised in Qatar and teams were asked to not wear OneLove armbands during the 2022 World Cup. As a result, several teams decided to drop it under the threat of sporting punishment.

This led to widespread criticism of the national teams that agreed to drop the OneLove armbands, including their captains. Van Dijk suggested that he was willing to wear the armband, but not at the expense of a potential yellow card, as it could have negatively impacted his tournament.