Virgil van Dijk has become the 11th Liverpool captain to lead the club to a top-flight title, joining an exclusive list dating back to 1901.
For the second time in his career, Van Dijk is a Premier League champion. This season is different, however, as he is now a title-winning captain.
After taking on the armband at the start of last season following Jordan Henderson‘s departure, Liverpool’s No. 4 has led the club with distinction and by example.
The 33-year-old has been an ever-present since his arrival in January 2018, a cornerstone under Jurgen Klopp and now Arne Slot – it is hard to ever imagine our team without him in it.
With Liverpool now confirmed as Premier League winners, he will become the 11th player to lift the title while wearing the armband for the club, joining an illustrious list.
Alex Raisbeck
Titles won as captain: 1900/01, 1905/06
Raisbeck held the record of being Liverpool’s youngest-ever captain for 120 years before Curtis Jones donned the armband in 2020, and he remains one of the club’s most esteemed figures.
A leader in the defence, Raisbeck joined in 1898 and stayed for 11 years, making 341 appearances for the club and captaining the side from 1900 to 1909, during which he lifted two top-flight titles.
Donald McKinlay
Titles won as captain: 1921/22, 1922/23
McKinlay was full-time captain for the Reds for over six years between 1922 and 1928, serving as leader of a dominant side in the early 1920s.
He became the first Liverpool captain to win back-to-back titles in the First Division, and was an ever-present in the 1922/23 campaign that saw the Reds finish six points above Sunderland.
Willie Fagan
Titles won as captain: 1946/47
Perhaps the least well-known figure on this list, Fagan’s time at Liverpool was disrupted by the Second World War, but he returned in 1945 to take over as captain.
Fagan scored seven goals on the way to the title in 1946/47, before vacating the captaincy as Jack Balmer took over.
Ron Yeats
Titles won as captain: 1963/64, 1965/66
The impact Yeats had on Liverpool following his arrival in 1961 could be compared to that of Van Dijk in the modern era, and soon after his move to Merseyside, Bill Shankly appointed him his captain.
Liverpool won the Second Division in Yeats’ first season with the club, before taking two First Division titles in the years to follow; the hulking centre-back left in 1971, with Tommy Smith wearing the armband from 1970.
Tommy Smith
Titles won as captain: 1972/73
Smith was a formidable presence in the Liverpool defence in the ’60s and ’70s, and his no-nonsense approach saw him deemed the perfect leader to take over from Yeats.
His time with the Reds saw him lift the First Division title in 1972/73, before Emlyn Hughes took over as captain, allowing him to resume duties as a terrifying defensive rock without the armband.
Emlyn Hughes
Titles won as captain: 1975/76, 1976/77, 1978/79
Hughes wore the armband from 1973 to 1979, albeit sharing duties with Kenny Dalglish in his final season, and during that time he became one of the club’s most successful captains.
Back-to-back titles were won in 1975/76 and 1976/77, and after a break in which Nottingham Forest topped the table, Liverpool resumed their place as champions in 1978/79; Hughes left at the end of the season, having lost his place in the side.
Phil Thompson
Titles won as captain: 1979/80
Thompson became the second Scouser to captain Liverpool to the title in 1980, following Smith’s success 17 years previous.
His reign as captain was relatively short, as he made way for one of the club’s greatest-ever midfielders, but it was a run that also saw him become the first Scouser to lift the European Cup with the Reds.
Graeme Souness
Titles won as captain: 1981/82, 1982/83, 1983/84
Souness remains the only Liverpool captain to win three consecutive titles, and those came in a sensational period under Bob Paisley and then Joe Fagan in the ’80s.
The Scot served as captain for three years, before handing the armband to Phil Neal when he left for Sampdoria in 1984.
Alan Hansen
Titles won as captain: 1985/86, 1987/88, 1989/90
For 30 years he was Liverpool’s last title-winning captain, and he served the Reds with distinction from the back for 14 years and enjoyed two stints with the armband.
He is still one of the best centre-backs to ever wear the Liverbird on his chest, and deservedly considered a legend having led his team to three league titles.
Jordan Henderson
Titles won as captain: 2019/20
Ended the long wait between trophy lifts, realising his lifelong dream and ensuring a new generation of Reds could witness what all those readily did before.
Battled to cement himself as a title-winning captain and made club history by becoming the first captain to lift six different trophies for the club.
His legacy, however, took a hit after leaving for Saudi Arabai in 2023 having opted against fighting for his spot in midfield.
Virgil van Dijk
Titles won as captain: 2024/25
A transformative signing who continues to make his £75 million price tag look like pittance, Van Dijk now realises his ambition of leading and lifting the title for this club.
And we all can’t wait to see how he goes about the trophy lift!
With a new contract until 2027, let’s hope there is a lot more to come from Dutchman.
Fan Comments