Happy birthday, Virgil van Dijk.

The Liverpool juggernaut blows out 31 candles on his birthday cake this week and what an incredible journey it's been from dreams of making it in football to becoming one of the greatest defenders of all time.

Yes, we went there, because as much as it's too early to be throwing around casual Paolo Maldini comparisons, there's no denying that the birthday boy has raised defending to new heights in recent years.

Happy birthday, Van Dijk

The Dutchman might have experienced a slower and less conventional rise to the top than others, but it's just been one success after another ever since he held that Liverpool shirt aloft in December 2017.

And on the back of another fantastic season that saw him get his hands on the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, you just know that Van Dijk will stride further into his thirties seeking nothing sort of more glory.

We look forward to seeing how that might take shape and what it could mean for his standing in the 'greatest male defender of all time' debate, but for now, let's focus on the things that we do know.

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How much do you know about Van Dijk?

And we say that because here at GIVEMESPORT, we wanted to celebrate Van Dijk's birthday by testing the knowledge of the people - yes, you - on a defender who has come to define a generation.

You might have a Liverpool badge tattooed on your thigh and your newborn child might just have been named 'Virgil', but how much do you really know about the 31-year-old at the heart of Jurgen Klopp's defence?

Well, to find out exactly that, we've devised a dastardly quiz that will test your true understanding of Van Dijk's football career from his early days in the Netherlands to all the jubilation at Anfield.

Soccer Football - Premier League - Wolverhampton Wanderers v Liverpool - Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, Britain - December 21, 2018 Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk celebrates scoring their second goal Action Images via Reuters/Carl Recine EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.

Mark scheme for Van Dijk quiz

But before we dive into the questions, you need to know exactly what you're up dealing with, so be sure to read our mark scheme down below and start imagining where your score might see you finish.

0-5 marks: Do you even know who Van Dijk is?

5-10 marks: We pray that you're not a Liverpool fan

10-15 marks: As solid as a Van Dijk and Matip partnership

15-19 marks: You're officially a Van Dijk expert

20 marks: Is that you, Virg?

The ultimate Virgil van Dijk quiz

Fancy your chances? Go on then, show us that you're the true Van Dijk expert by celebrating his big day by getting 20 out of 20 on our ultimate quiz down below. Best of luck, and no Googling!