The captain of both Liverpool and the Netherlands, Virgil van Dijk, has been named as the newest brand ambassador by Dutch brewer Heineken, as part of an extended agreement.

The current Heineken campaign has Jill Scott and Virgil van Dijk as stars.

Confirmed: Van Dijk has become a Heineken ambassador, working alongside former Lioness Jill Scott MBE.

The Dutch captain is set to lead the brand’s newest campaign, “Cheers to the real hardcore fans,” which aims to counteract negative fan bias.

The campaign was introduced via a TV ad and social media marketing.

Context: Quattro Sports Group, the sports marketing and content production agency that negotiated Van Dijk’s most recent endorsement deal, was created by veteran content strategist Steven Halliwell and former senior vice president of athlete marketing at Wasserman, Duncan Ross.

Quattro Sports Group strives to focus on all off-pitch marketing strategies, including sponsorship, content production, media and PR, and broadcast management. The company works with a number of players and businesses in a range of sports.

Remark: According to a statement from van Dijk, “As a player, I am proud and grateful of the ‘Real Hardcore’ fans.” “I believe we have to take back this phrase; we have to remove its negative connotations from history from the game. Education and interpersonal contact are the two key factors that, in my opinion, will bring about change because no one is born a racist.

“I am happy that Heineken is challenging the notion of what a true fan is in order to show that everyone can have a part in the game. I hope we can contribute to that transformation.