Ryan Gravenberch has had an unforgettable week—welcoming his first child and receiving a surprise visit from Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk.
At just 23, the midfielder has been adjusting to fatherhood when, on a quiet afternoon in Merseyside, the doorbell rang. To his astonishment, Van Dijk was there in person, carrying a large, Liverpool-red wrapped package tied with a golden ribbon.
“I didn’t expect him to come himself,” Gravenberch told local reporters. “He has his own family, his own responsibilities—but he showed up, smiling as always.”
When he and his wife unwrapped the gift, laughter filled the room. Inside was a tiny, custom-made baby Liverpool kit, complete with a captain’s armband stitched onto the sleeve. The shirt bore Van Dijk’s famous number four, but instead of his name, it read “Gravenberch.”
“It was incredible,” Ryan recalled. “Virgil had asked the kit team to make it specially. The armband was almost bigger than the shirt—it was adorable and hilarious at the same time.”
The gesture didn’t stop there. Inside the pocket was a handwritten note: “To the future captain. May you always wear your name with pride. With love, Uncle Virgil.”
For Ryan and his wife, the gift carried deep meaning. “It wasn’t just thoughtful—it was symbolic,” he said. “Virgil was showing us that family comes first, that we’re connected beyond football.”
Van Dijk stayed for an hour, holding the baby, sharing fatherhood advice, and reminding Gravenberch that life on the pitch would feel different now. “He told me, ‘Football is important, but nothing compares to family.’ That hit me hard. My whole perspective has already shifted.”
The story quickly spread among Liverpool fans, who flooded social media with jokes and memes—imagining a baby Gravenberch captaining the Reds at Anfield in 2045.
For the new father, though, the moment remains personal. “That little kit will be framed forever,” Ryan said. “One day I’ll show it to my child and say, ‘This was your first gift—from one of the greatest captains in football.’”
And as Van Dijk left, he couldn’t resist one last playful line. According to Ryan’s wife, he grinned and said: “If he learns to dribble before he can walk, make sure you sign him up straight away.”
