Quick, composed and physically dominant - Virgil van Dijk is the defender who has it all. But from washing dishes while he tried to secure his first professional contract to facing rejection and serious illness, it didn't always seem as if Virgil was going to make it to the top.

This is the inspiring story of how a boy from Breda used his determination and self-belief to become one of the greatest defenders in the world.

This biography is one of the new titles in Leapfrog's Tales from the Pitch series. These fast-moving reads offer a fresh take on the familiar football biography format.

• Each book focuses on one up-and-coming football superstar, often players who are still to reach the summit of their career.
  
• The players are from all walks of life and have faced failure, injury and rejection, making these moving and inspirational stories.
  
• The books are brimming with football banter that will have the knowing fans smiling.
  
• And each players story is littered with football tricks and tips, so readers can learn the arts of the glorious game.
  

At only 120 pages long, Tales from the Pitch are easy to read and very fast-paced reads. So meet the footballers behind the iconic tackles and goals, and find out what makes each of these players so special.