Former Celtic defender Virgil van Dijk’s career at Liverpool just keeps going from strength to strength.
Despite the Celtic hero struggling in the Premier League with the Anfield club, van Dijk is still pressing on with Liverpool in the Champions League.
The Premier League club hammered Qarabag 6-0 in the final Champions League group stage game 24 hours before Celtic face Utrecht in the Europa League.
Celtic hero Virgil van Dijk creates Champions League history at Liverpool.
Will Celtic ever see the likes of van Dijk again?
But it was what van Dijk did in the hammering of Qarabag that has the former Celtic stopper being placed in the UEFA history books this week.
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Celtic icon Virgil van Dijk creates historic Champions League assist record at Liverpool
Van Dijk has won a multitude of trophies, silverware and personal accolades since his big Liverpool move back in 2018.
And now, the former Celtic defender has done something no other player has done in the history of the Champions League as Liverpool ran riot with Qarabag.
Football on TNT Sports told on X, “Virgil van Dijk is the first centre-back in Champions League history to provide a hat-trick of assists in a single match.”
When you look at all the world-class attacking talent that has played in the Champions League, this is quite a phenomenal achievement for the Liverpool captain.
Virgil van Dijk’s Liverpool achievements since 2015 Celtic exit
Van Dijk left Celtic for Southampton in 2015 but it was at Liverpool where he became a world-class defender and European champion.
Here is what the Dutch star has won at Celtic and the Anfield club.
Virgil van Dijk’s Celtic honours
- Scottish Premiership: 2013–14, 2014–15
- Scottish League Cup: 2014–15
Virgil van Dijk’s Liverpool honours
- Premier League: 2019–20, 2024–25
- FA Cup: 2021–22
- EFL Cup: 2021–22, 2023–24; runner-up: 2024–25
- FA Community Shield: 2022
- UEFA Champions League: 2018–19; runner-up: 2017–18, 2021–22
- UEFA Super Cup: 2019
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2019
Van Dijk’s impact at Liverpool was immediate as the central defender went on to become the player Celtic fans knew he could be.
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