Virgil van Dijk’s visit to the Haagse Beemden district in Breda on Wednesday afternoon attracted young football fans like a magnet. Hundreds of children came to the neighborhood, where Van Dijk reopened the refurbished Cruyff Court. His arrival made an impression. “I’ve never seen a celebrity,” says 11-year-old Amir.
Van Dijk was born and raised in Breda. As a little boy he often played football on the Cruyff Court in Beemden in The Hague. Here he laid the foundation for an impressive career. All the children who had gathered around the field were very happy with his arrival.
“Great to see all these children on the field where I lived close by. I played a lot of football, won and lost and made friends,” says Van Dijk.
“I was in shock when I heard that Virgil was coming to Breda.”
The 10-year-old Delisha looks closely at Van Dijk who does some tricks with the ball on the Cruyff Court. “I was completely shocked when I heard that he was coming to Breda. In the field he is such a tough and strong defender. Now in real life I think he is a very nice man.”
Amir (11) also did not hesitate for a moment to come to the Cruyff Court. “I’ve never seen a celebrity. It’s great that Virgil is now in our Breda. I would like to hear from him how he became so strong.”
Jayzinho (13) hopes to become as good as his former fellow townsman later on. “I’m a fan of Liverpool because Virgil plays there. Watching him helps me become an even better defender.”
“Everyone could see that he had talent.”
Not only children want to catch a glimpse of the former best defender in the world. Wesley Müller is also at the football field with his family.
“I used to be in Virgil’s class and we played a lot of football together. He was a nice lad who was very serious about the sport. Everyone could see his talent. Being at Liverpool now makes us very pride.”
The youth not only screamed en masse when they saw Van Dijk, but also because of the presence of Soufiane Touzani. The street football player, very popular on social media, is a big fan of the Cruyff Courts. “It’s a place where you feel at home and where you can develop. Virgil already has a Cruyff Court in England, but if there’s one footballer who deserves two, it’s him. Our leader of the Dutch national team.”
