Virgil van Dijk: 'Personal Journey' Will Make Premier League Title 'Mean More'

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has said his "personal journey" means any Premier League title success for the team will "mean more."

Van Dijk has established himself as arguably the best centre-back in football since arriving at Liverpool from Southampton in January 2018. Before Saints, he had spells at Celtic in Scotland and Groningen in the Netherlands.

Speaking about his progression, Van Dijk said working hard to get to this point will make success sweeter, per Steve Bates of the Sunday Mirror:

"I don't take my personal journey for granted at all and it makes it special for me and my family and it will always be. It is why it is easy for me to deal with pressure. When I first came here I wanted to win everything. As a player at such a club like Liverpool you want to compete for all the trophies, whether it's the League Cup, FA Cup.

"But obviously you want to deliver the Premier League to this club. It has been so long I wasn't even born and is something the club is definitely hungry for. But also for the Champions League, which was a dream come true for me, and so if winning the league happens it will also be a dream come true."

Squawka Football recently summed up how consistent the Reds have been at the back since Van Dijk arrived:

Van Dijk was inspirational for Liverpool on their way to UEFA Champions League glory last term and has been a colossal presence at the back this season too. The Reds have a 25-point lead at the summit of the Premier League table.

When Liverpool paid £75 million—then a world-record for a defender—to sign Van Dijk, there were a few eyebrows raised. However, the Dutchman has rewarded manager Jurgen Klopp's faith.

In addition to Van Dijk being a decisive presence in defence, he is excellent on the ball. The 28-year-old recently set up Sadio Mane's goal against Bournemouth with a pinpoint through ball:

The defender is also prone to chipping in with goals, as BBC's Match of the Day highlighted:

It's not entirely clear when the Premier League season will resume. The competition has been suspended until at least April 4 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic; should matches resume that weekend, the Reds can clinch the title with a win over Manchester City.

According to the Daily Telegraph, discussions have been held with a view to cancelling the season but awarding the title to Liverpool despite the fact that they have yet to clinch the prize mathematically.