Virgil van Dijk is known for delivering on the pitch for Liverpool, but it seems he can also deliver a McDonald’s to your car.
The Dutch defender has been in Liverpool since his £75million move from Southampton in January 2018 and he is very involved in the community. Nevertheless, people heading to Kirkby McDonald’s for some fast food this week would not have been expecting to see the 6ft 5in centre-back at the drive-thru window.
Footage posted on social media showed Van Dijk helping out the McDonald’s staff by passing orders through the window. Unsurprisingly a crowd had soon gathered, with kids staring through the glass to catch a glimpse of the Liverpool star.
Dressed in a casual jumper, trousers and trainers, Van Dijk was then given a tray of McFlurrys to hand out to those waiting. His appearance in McDonald’s prompted many comments online from bemused fans.
“He got the ice cream machine to work at Maccies. There truly is nothing he can’t do,” one commenter joked. Another added: “Getting a Mcflurry off Virgil. The stuff dreams are made of.”
It is unclear why the 31-year-old was there, although it seems unlikely he has changed career path ahead of Liverpool’s final game of the season, against Southampton on Sunday.
More likely, his appearance had something to do with his previous work with the fast foot outlet. Earlier this year Van Dijk took part in the company’s Fun Football and Happy Readers events in which they encouraged children to read.
Van Dijk said: “Liverpool is a special place and I love being able to give back to the community that supports us so passionately. Like McDonald’s, I am a strong believer that every child should have the chance to learn and play and it is a topic that is close to me and my family which is why I am here today.
“McDonald’s is helping families by offering them more opportunities to access free books and free Fun Football coaching.
“Today alone we gave out over 3,000 books to children and, from what I saw on the pitch and in the reading area, we may have a few budding authors and footballing superstars in the making.”
He also posted on Instagram : “I loved being out in Liverpool city centre this week, surprising local kids at a @mcdonaldsuk @funfootballuk x #HappyReaders event, playing a bit of football, doing some reading, and seeing lots of smiles on the kids faces.
“I was there in support of McDonald’s ongoing commitment to provide families with 10m books and 2m hours of #FunFootball each year, which is so important for the community”.
