Virgil van Dijk made his editorial modelling debut in a 10-page spread for the latest issue of Vogue Scandinavia.

The shoot accompanies a profile of Rains founders Philip Lotko and Daniel Brix Hesselager, with the Liverpool captain decked out in the Danish outerwear label’s finest gear. Van Dijk was a natural choice for the editorial, being a friend of the founders and acting as a muse. 

The genesis of the shoot may have been casual – a friend asking a friend for a favour – but the photos take van Dijk to top model status. Photographed at his home, the Dutchman brings the latest Rains collection to life in a range of curated portraits. 

Recently, players have been making their way onto photoshoot sets and making it look easy. Son Heung-min has been fronting billboards and ads for a while now, from Calvin Klein to Burberry, with Bukayo Saka featuring in Burberry’s Spring/Summer 2024 campaign.

With van Dijk featuring in the glossy pages of Vogue, perhaps the runway is next. It won’t be long until your favourite ballers are on every designer’s moodboard. 

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