Former Celtic defender Virgil Van Dijk enjoyed his return Glasgow on Wednesday evening as Liverpool ran out emphatic winners at Ibrox.
Following on from a two-year spell at Parkhead between 2013-2015, the Dutchman has gone on to become one of the best defenders in the world whilst playing south of the border.
Van Dijk has also lifted the English Premier League title and the Champions League after getting his first taste of silverware at Celtic.
In recent weeks, the Netherlands’ international captain has been discussing his time at Celtic Park and stated that it shaped him into the player and person he is today.
This week, Van Dijk made his return to Glasgow for the first time since his departure to Southampton in the 2015/16 season.
However, his return didn’t have anything to do with the Bhoys.
Van Dijk was actually headed for the other side of the city to take on the Hoops Glasgow rivals Rangers at Ibrox in the UEFA Champions League group stages.
And it was a successful night for the ex-Celtic man, who helped his side run out 7-1 winners and all but secure their place in the next round of the competition.
Taking to Instagram, Van Dijk clearly enjoyed his night back in the city, posting the caption: “It was nice to be back in Glasgow! 🙋🏽♂️”
There was also a familiar face in the comment section of the post, as Van Dijk’s former Celtic teammate Mikael Lustig simply responded with the following emoji; “😍”
Of course, this wasn’t the Liverpool defenders first meeting with the Hoops Glasgow rivals, having faced off against the Ibrox side in the 2015 Scottish League Cup semi-final at Hampden Park.
Although Van Dijk had that experience, he was quick to remind BT Sport’s interviewer, Des Kelly, that his only experience of facing Rangers came at the country’s national stadium after he was briefly asked about his time in Scottish Football.
He said [BT Sport]: “I’ve never played here. No, the game was at Hampden, so it was my first time here, and obviously, it was a great result. A great night in Glasgow.”
Van Dijk and Liverpool could have helped Celtic pile on the pressure this weekend
The game may not have started well for Van Dijk and the English Premier League side on Wednesday. However, a strong second-half showing saw the Anfield side comfortably take home all three points.
Losing by seven goals, particularly at home, can be a tough scoreline to jump back from. So Ange Postecoglou and Celtic will be looking to take advantage of that this weekend.
The Bhoys are up first in Scottish Premiership action, facing Hibernian on Saturday. Whilst the Ibrox side has to wait until Sunday as they head to Fir Park to take on Motherwell.
So, Van Dijk may have left Parkhead well over seven years ago now. But, following on from Liverpool’s huge scoreline last night, the defender could still have his part to play in the title race if the pressure is piled on Rangers.
In other news, “It’s finally here”; Celtic announce crowd-pleasing Adidas range.
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