After only seven matches playing for South Island United in the OFC Pro League, goalkeeper Steven van Dijk already has a highlight reel to be proud of.
The 28-year-old Dutchman has been a stand-out for the Southerners who will take on Bula FC in their final match of the Melbourne series on Tuesday, hoping to bounce back from their disappointing 1-4 loss to South Melbourne.
“I had to make quite a few saves and that loss was a real wakeup call for us, so we have been working hard the past few days on tightening up our defensive structures,” says Van Dijk, who has played in football leagues in the far corners of the globe, after years trying to crack the professional ranks with domestic clubs Go Ahead Eagles, Vitesse Arnhem, NEC and FC Den Bosch.
Van Dijk played alongside future superstars like Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong and Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt in the Netherlands under-16 national team, but despite all the hard work, never got the big break at club level.
“I was also studying to be a physiotherapist at that time and it all became a bit too much for me. I knew other players who were suddenly completely done with football, and I didn’t want to lose my passion,” says Van Dijk, who took a step back to the amateurs while exploring overseas adventures.
“I was always interested in other cultures and countries, so I started sending messages to clubs and agents around Europe.”
His online “stalking” initially had little results, until he got a message from a club in the top division in Iceland.
“They urgently needed a keeper to fill a gap and asked if I could jump on the plane and play the following weekend,” says Van Dijk, who loved the brutal nature of the North Atlantic, but was missing out on regular playing time.
He started another global search and found a new home on the other side of the planet, with FC Cove, in the second tier in South Australia NPL, swapping the Arctic winter for the Australian summer.
Van Dijk had a good season on the pitch, but admits he had a difficult year off the field trying to break into the tight-knit community.
“It was a beautiful place, but I was quite lonely,” says the goalkeeper, who adds that the his mental resilience has been tested living in new places, which has helped him as a player.
Van Dijk’s next adventure with Armenian top flight club FC Van was cut short by the Covid pandemic, so the Dutchman found another island club, 07 Vestur, in the top flight of the remote Faroer Islands.
“They knew I was a physiotherapist as well, so they hired me to cover both jobs,” laughs Van Dijk, who got to experience some stunning nature, some unusual local delicacies, and playing in ridiculous weather conditions.
The wind and snow of the North Atlantic prepared Van Dijk well for a move to New Zealand’s Southern League, when he got a call from Christchurch United to join them as a goalkeeper and goalkeeping coach for their academy.
“My mum was a bit gutted because she had hoped I would finally settle down and find a job in Holland, but I didn’t want to miss out on another amazing adventure,” says Van Dijk, who soon became the anchor in the Christchurch United defence and was named the league’s best goalkeeper.
When Christchurch United successfully applied to be part of the new OFC Pro League under the South Island United banner, Van Dijk was one of the first local players to sign.
The new professional league is mana from heaven for the island-hopping goalkeeper, adding Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Fiji to his travel resume.
“I feel incredibly lucky,” says Van Dijk.
“These are all experiences to last me a lifetime. A place like PNG is beautiful, but not a normal place for a footballer from Holland to play.”
With his experiences around the planet, the goalkeeper is one of leaders in the South Island United squad that includes many first-time professionals, and Van Dijk demands the highest standards from himself and his team-mates.
“We have shown in glimpses what we are capable of in this league, but we all know we have been too inconsistent and need to tighten things up,” says Van Dijk, who hopes Tuesday’s match against Bula FC will be a turning point for a strong run-in towards the top four.
“We are halfway through the regular season, so we now need to step up if we want to be serious contenders for a semi-final spot. I think we have the talent, so it’s up to ourselves to get the results.”
– South Island United Media
Photo Caption: Steven van Dijk makes a save against the Solomons Kings in the OFC Pro League.
