Cameron Carter-Vickers continues to go from strength-to-strength after leaving Tottenham Hotspur with his ‘dominant’ Celtic displays earning comparisons with Premier League winner Virgil van Dijk.
Ironically enough, Spurs could do with a centre-half like ‘CCV’ these days.
Cameron Carter-Vickers, since joining Celtic for a cool £6 million last year, has marshalled Ange Postecoglou’s side to another Scottish Premiership title. In total, the London-born USA international has now picked up four trophies in the last two seasons, having initially arrived at Parkhead on a season-long loan deal.
His consistency and composure is in stark contrast to those currently at Ryan Mason’s disposal; Cristian Romero picking up more cards than a postman in Christmas week and Eric Dier a shadow of the player who was once an automatic pick for the England national team.
And Kris Commons, who won three Premiership titles alongside Van Dijk north of the border, sees similarities between the Tottenham academy graduate and a man who blossomed into the finest centre-half in world football for a spell at Anfield.
Tottenham Hotspur sold Cameron Carter-Vickers to Celtic
“I reckon Carter-Vickers is actually the most dominant defender we’ve seen in Scottish football since Van Dijk. It’s no surprise Celtic should look so vulnerable when he doesn’t play. He’s a massive loss,” Commons tells the Daily Mail; Postecoglou’s Carter-Vickers-less defence shredded by Rangers in Saturday’s 3-0 Old Firm derby defeat.
“I played with Van Dijk and saw him at close quarters. He cruised through the SPFL for a couple of seasons and has since gone on to become one of the best centre-backs in world football.
“Even going back further to Martin O’Neill’s Bhoys of Seville, you had the likes of Bobo Balde, Johan Mjallby and Joos Valgaeren. Three absolutely colossal figures at the back.
“Carter-Vickers could hold his own in that sort of company.”
Carter-Vickers made only five first-team appearances for Spurs, farmed out on loan to the likes of Luton Town, Stoke, Swansea and Bournemouth before putting down roots at last in Glasgow.
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