Virgil van Dijk is yet to signal any plans to retire as a professional footballer, but the Liverpool captain has given an indication of his ideal job after his playing career ends.
Van Dijk signed a new two-year contract with Liverpool in April, taking him to the end of next season by which point he will be 36.
However there is no sign this will be his last contract as a player, with it entirely possible that he extends his stay at Anfield further – or, if not with the Reds, continuing his career elsewhere.
But now entering his mid-30s there are obvious questions over how long Van Dijk will continue playing and what his plans are in retirement.
Virgil van Dijk names the ONE player he’d love to play with and more ? @fifpro pic.twitter.com/TRHvT46d8Q
— GOAL (@goal) December 2, 2025
In an interview with GOAL after being named in the FIFA FIFPRO World 11 for 2025, the Dutchman hinted that his next job could be as a sporting director.
Asked what he would be if he wasn’t a footballer, Van Dijk named the position currently held by Richard Hughes at Liverpool.
This comes with the No. 4 having already played down becoming a manager on a number of occasions, including in an interview on the Rio Meets podcast last year.
Van Dijk has no desire to become a manager
“I said no, but that’s also coming from this hectic, busy, on-it life that my family is sacrificing a lot for, my wife and my kids,” he explained.
“To then have a year or two years off and then going back into it, I don’t think I see it happening. But never say never.
“I really feel like I definitely will give something back to football. I love working and seeing younger players out there.
“I like going for example to the Liverpool academy to watch the under-11s, 12s, 13s. The other day I watched a little tournament, under-16s if I’m correct, and just a couple of games.
“The thing is, I know when I was younger, I was eight or nine, we had a training session and the first-team players from my team back then, Willem II, like two or three players came and trained with us.
“I will never forget that, and I know what kind of impact that makes to younger boys and the younger generation.
“But what they give to me as well, seeing them happy, playing with pure joy, nothing in their minds, that’s something that brings a lot to me as well.
“Going back then to the question, I would love to stay in football in the future, but on my time. I don’t know which kind of role, it’s too far away to think about.”
Van Dijk has already moved into youth football with the Virgil’s Legacy Trophy, with Liverpool’s U13s winning the inaugural tournament at Willem II’s youth stadium in September.