While Virgil creates the atmosphere on the field and millions of fans cheer him on, Rike prefers to stay in the background. Their love story started before the footballer broke up. Raek used to work in the fashion industry. When Virgil’s career took off and he signed a contract with Celtic, Rike changed his job to live in Scotland with his partner.
Marriage
Virgil’s football career came first. From Groningen to Scotland, then to Southampton and finally to Liverpool: she accompanied him everywhere. The couple tied the knot in 2017. Little is known about their marriage, as privacy is of utmost importance to the couple. Rike chose to keep his last name.
With the exception of a few red carpet appearances, Rike prefers to stay away from the bright lights of the spotlight, but behind the scenes he helps make Virgil’s football dreams come true. When Virgil was given the captaincy of the Dutch national team, he openly expressed his gratitude towards his wife. Without him, the Dutch international ‘wouldn’t have been able to experience this moment.’
Family
Together, Virgil and Rike form a close-knit family. Their first daughter was born at a special time in 2014. The defender was probably going to make his debut for the Dutch team, but he decided to be present at the birth. Ultimately, they had to wait until October 2015 for their debut.
The couple now has several children. Daughters Neela (2014) and Jaadi (2017) are well known, but deliberately little information is shared about their other children. The eldest daughters once appeared in a Nike campaign with their famous father.
Virgil is not only praised for his performances on the field. Out on the lawn he feels like a true fashionista.