Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk played for Celtic for two years.
Van Dijk was on the books of Celtic from the summer of 2013 until the summer of 2015 when he joined Southampton in the Premier League for a transfer fee reported by BBC Sport to be worth £13 million.
Now at Liverpool, who signed the Netherlands international centre-back from Southampton in January 2018 for a transfer fee reported by BBC Sport to be worth £75m, the 27-year-old has spoken highly of the fans at Celtic Park.
The former Groningen star – who earns £180,000 per week as salary, according to Spotrac.com – has also reflected on his spell at Celtic.
Van Dijk told The Guardian about his time at Celtic: “It was massive. I spoke quite good English but the Scottish accent is totally different. I remember in the beginning people were talking and I was just nodding and saying yes.
“But going to Celtic was fantastic for me even if it was the same situation I had in Holland. [Bigger] 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. And the fans at Celtic are amazing. They live and die for their club. That’s something I love – real fans, real passion. It’s why I also made the decision to come to Liverpool.”
World-class defender
Van Dijk is one of the best central defenders on the planet and is a world-class footballer.
The Dutchman was key in Liverpool reaching the final of the Champions League last season, and he has been instrumental in the Reds doing the same again this campaign as well as giving Manchester City a run for their money in the Premier League title race.
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