Suddenly he was back where it all began.
Last month Virgil van Dijk made a secret visit to his old Dutch club Willem II to bring back a youth football tournament.
He said: "It's my way of giving back and helping nurture the next generation of world-class talent. This tournament gives rising stars the platform they need to take the next step towards their dreams."
Fittingly, the next edition of the 'Virgil Legacy Trophy' in September will feature all of the clubs where Van Dijk played in his career, plus the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and PSG.