Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk has been a revelation since his move from Celtic in the summer of 2015.
Southampton centre-back Virgil van Dijk has shared who his footballing idol was during his younger years, in an exclusive interview with the official Premier League website.
The 25-year-old Holland international has been a tower of strength for the Saints since his arrival at St Mary’s just over a year ago, and has already made 53 appearances for the South Coast outfit.
Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk
During an interview with PremierLeague.com, the former Celtic man shared who he idolised within the football world when he was growing up, and it will come as no surprise that he was also a defender who represented his country and plied his trade in England:
“Jaap Stam was a Dutch centre-back who did an amazing job for Man United and for our country as well. He was always a player who I looked up to.”
Reading manager Jaap Stam
Claude Puel’s men have enjoyed an impressive start to their 2016/17 campaign for the most part, with a good run in the Premier League, coupled with a famous win over Inter Milan in the Europa League.
Van Dijk has established himself as an integral part of Puel’s team, and if his development continues along the trajectory it has done up until now, he himself could become one of the world’s most highly coveted centre-backs – just like his idol.
Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk celebrates
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
