The Dutchman agreed terms on his new deal, which will run until 2022, ahead of Saints’ Barclays Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Van Dijk moved to St Mary’s from Scottish champions Celtic in the summer of 2015, and has had a hugely impressive first season in English football.

The 24 year-old made his debut for the club in a 0-0 draw at West Bromwich Albion, with Saints boss Ronald Koeman describing the defender’s display as “perfect”.

His first Saints goal arrived in just his fourth game for the club, as he netted in a 3-1 win against Swansea City at St Mary’s, before scoring again in a 2-2 draw with Leicester City.

The defender’s form in the early stages of his Saints career was rewarded with a national team debut, as he featured for the Netherlands in a 2-1 win against Kazakhstan in October.

Van Dijk has been an ever-present in the Premier League since his arrival from Celtic, making 36 appearances in all competitions, and impressing at the heart of the defence alongside José Fonte.

On van Dijk's new contract, Executive Director of Football Les Reed said: “In his first year with the club, Virgil has quickly established himself as one of the top centre-backs in the Premier League, becoming an integral part of what has been another strong season for the team.“At 24, and with significant European experience already under his belt, we believe he can be a key pillar in our squad for years to come, and we are delighted to have agreed this new deal with him.“Although Virgil only joined us in September we felt it was important to strengthen our commitment and we believe this also provides further indication of how serious our ambitions are for the coming years.”

Speaking about his first season with Saints and his new contract, van Dijk told youtube.com/southamptonfc: “I’m so pleased, I’m so happy. Me and my family have enjoyed it a lot this year. It’s been amazing. It’s only positive.

“The club is growing and I definitely want to grow with them, that’s how I feel. Hopefully we can make it happen. That’s the plan, to get a lot of achievements going.”