Van Dijk's match-winning moment in the most recent League Cup final arrived with 118 minutes on the clock and a youthful side on the pitch for Liverpool.
It was Kostas Tsimikas' in-swinging corner from the right that was diverted into the far side of the net by the towering Dutchman, promoting an explosion of relief and joy from the supporters behind the Chelsea goal.
The memory is as fresh to Van Dijk now as it felt then.
Breaking it down, he recalled: "I think the moment you touch the ball, you have a feeling it will go in because of the pace of the ball and the direction the ball is going when I touched it.
"Obviously the feeling is incredible, also knowing that penalties would come after if you don't score and that's always a big question mark. We had a very good goalkeeper in penalties, in my opinion, that could help us out.
"But the way we did it now felt even better."
Significant for being Van Dijk's first with the armband on, the occasion also brought Jürgen Klopp his eighth and final trophy as Liverpool manager.
The departing boss was invited to take centre stage with Van Dijk for the crowning moment.
"I said it on the pitch after the game because I always had it in my mind before the game," the centre-half revealed. "I thought, 'If we're going to do it, I want to lift it together with Jürgen.'
"I didn't mention it before the game obviously to anyone or to him either. But after the game on the pitch before we had to go up the steps I told him I wanted to lift it together, and I'm glad he agreed."