Virgil van Dijk has followed in the path of the world's greatest footballers on the pitch – and now he's done the same with his choice of eatery in Dubai.
The Liverpool star made a trip to the Nusr-Et restaurant of Nusret Gokce, more popularly known as Salt Bae.
The Dutchman, usually a fearsome sight while in action, showed a more delicate touch as he pulled off the trademark salt sprinkle in front of the camera. He then posed for a picture with the celebrity chef, with the duo also sporting a pair of shades.
Salt Bae has been pictured with numerous football stars in recent years, including Diego Maradona.
Last month, Gokce honoured the late Maradona by permanently reserving the football legend’s favourite table at his Dubai restaurant.
Maradona visited the Nusr-Et Dubai outlet in 2018, and the Argentinian seemed quite pleased with the experience.
Among the other members of football's top table to have visited are Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Manchester United's Paul Pogba in 2018.
Van Dijk, meanwhile, is recovering from a serious knee injury he sustained in the Merseyside derby against Everton in October.
He underwent surgery on his damaged ligaments and, although Liverpool have not given a timeframe on his return, he will potentially miss the remainder of the Premier League season.
This isn't the first time a star footballer has been spotted in Dubai as Premier League stars often take advantage of the UAE climate to recuperate and work on their injury rehabilitation.
How much does Virgil van Dijk earn?
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David de Gea (Manchester United) is the highest paid Premier League player, on £375,000 per week. Swipe right through the gallery to see who are the top earning players in the Premier League. All figures according to spotrac.com. Reuters -
Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) - £320,833. Reuters -
Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) - £300,000. EPA -
Paul Pogba (Manchester United) - £290,000. Reuters -
Mesut Ozil (Arsenal) - £268,750. Reuters -
Anthony Martial (Manchester United) - £250,000. AFP -
Sergio Aguero (Manchester City) - £230,135. Reuters -
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) - £200,000. AFP -
Marcus Rashford (Manchester United) - £200,000. Reuters -
Harry Kane (Tottenham) - £200,000. AFP -
Tanguy Ndombele (Tottenham) - £200,000. AFP -
Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal) - £182,051. Reuters -
Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) - £180,000. EPA -
Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) - £165,000. Reuters -
Harry Maguire (Manchester United) - £162,775. EPA -
David Silva (Manchester City) - £160,000. EPA -
Juan Mata (Manchester United) - £160,000. Reuters -
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal) - £157,500. AFP -
Kepa Arrizabalaga (Chelsea) - £150,000. EPA -
N'Golo Kante (Chelsea) - £150,000. AFP -
Fernandinho (Manchester City) - £150,000. Reuters -
Bernardo Silva (Manchester City) - £150,000. AFP -
Nicolas Pepe (Arsenal) - £140,000. Reuters -
Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) - £140,000. EPA -
Jordan Henderson (Liverpool) - £140,000. EPA -
James Milner (Liverpool) - £140,000. EPA -
Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City) - £140,000. AFP -
Son Heung-min (Tottenham) - £140,000. Reuters -
Christian Pulisic (Chelsea) - £132,917. AFP -
Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace) - £130,000. Reuters
