Virgil Van Dijk speaks about his time at Celtic

Add as preferred source on Google

As Celtic gear up for the end-of-season finale at Hampden Park, one former player’s campaign still has a week to run.

Virgil Van Dijk’s Liverpool will face Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League final next weekend. The match, played at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid, will be Van Dijk’s second European final in as many seasons.

The centre-back has become arguably one of the best defenders in the world since his £75million switch from Southampton in 2017. He’s also the captain of his country Holland but that hasn’t stopped him from reminiscing about his time in Glasgow.

Speaking to the Guardian, Van Dijk said: “Going to Celtic was fantastic for me even if it was the same situation I had in Holland.

“Clubs doubted my ability because they thought the standard was not so high in Scotland. I kept working hard and I always believed in myself.

“The fans at Celtic are amazing. They live and die for their club. That’s something I love – real fans, real passion.”

True value

It must be a frustration for Celtic that they can’t get a true value when they sell their top players. Both Van Dijk and Victor Wanyama moved on to England for relatively low fees, played a season or two and were then automatically worth considerably more.

It was clear to see that both would be stars in any team. It’s no surprise to Celtic fans that they’ll compete in next week’s Madrid final.

Moussa Dembele is the most recent example of Celtic being underpaid. The forward left for Lyon in a £19.7million deal last summer. The Daily Mail are now reporting than Manchester United are ready to pay nearly double that (£35million) to sign him this year.

It’s hard to believe that Dembele has turned into twice the player he was at Celtic in ten months. What has been proven is that he can perform in a well-renowned league. That’s enough for most wealthy clubs to make their move.