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Van Dijk was once cut from Netherlands U19

HOOK

Van Dijk was once cut from Netherlands U19 — now he’s captain at the World Cup

FACTS

  • As a teenager he missed out on the 2010 U19 World Cup, right before the senior team reached the final
  • He didn’t debut for the national team until 24 and now holds the record with 76 games as captain
  • Netherlands play Japan on Sunday; if they reach the final, he could play his 100th international

TAKEAWAY

From rejection to captain — Van Dijk shows your career isn’t over when you don’t make one squad.

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