Dutch and Liverpool defender Virgil Van Dijk has revealed his admiration for Nigerian songs and has named three Nigerian Afrobeats stars in his top five playlists.
Notable songs by Nigerian artists, Omah Lay, Asake and Rema were included in Van Dijk’s favourite songs playlist with The Notorious B.I.G and Mase.
Widely regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation, Van Dijk noted how Omah Lay, Asake and Rema songs gave him positive energy and vibes ahead of each match.
The playlist was assembled for the EFL Carabao Cup Final 2024 and shared via EFL’s TikTok page.
Van Dijk said, “Hi, my name is Virgil Van Dijk and these are my top five tracks.
“Number one is Omah Lay with ‘Holy Ghost.’ Dope! Listen to it. It keeps you in the mood. The second one would be Mase with ‘Feel So Good.’ Very good classic. Unbelievable! Then the third one will be The Notorious B.I.G with ‘Mo Money Mo Problems.’ Nice vibes, you know what I mean?
“So, number four would be Asake with ‘Lonely At The Top.’ Nice one, nice vibes. The sun is shining. Hopefully, it will be nice. And my fifth one would be Rema with ‘Charm.’ Very nice.
“There are lots of Afrobeats because I like to have nice vibes, sun is shining, smiling faces and winning the Carabao Cup Final.”
During one of Liverpool’s training sessions in January, van Dijk could be heard singing along to Asakes Organize over his headset.
He has influenced his Liverpool teammates to listen to Nigerian Afrobeats songs during their training sessions.
Here are Vigil van Dijk’s top five playlists
Omah Lay with ‘Holy Ghost’
Mase with ‘Feels So Good’
Notorious B.I.G with ‘Mo Money Mo Problems.’
Asake with ‘Lonely At The Top’
Rema with ‘Charm’