Celtic manager Neil Lennon had some interesting words for Virgil van Dijk after seeing him train for the first time years ago.
Virgil van Dijk was one of the best talents to come through the halls of Paradise. Everyone saw it, especially current Hoops manager Neil Lennon. Virgil van Dijk had quite an impressive career with Celtic when he scored 15 goals in 115 appearances for the Hoops.
Eventually, the defender was ready for bigger things when he made his move down South to the English Premier League. Since then, Virgil van Dijk has made his name globally known as a solid, and technical defender.
All Hoops fans hope that the absolute best players stay with the club. But, the reality is that players leave to play in England, Spain and Germany. Players want to make money, but more importantly they want to test themselves on the biggest stage.
Current Hoops manager Neil Lennon knew that was van Dijk’s destiny as soon as he saw them. This is what Lennon had to say the first time he saw the defender:
"“I was really surprised no one came in earlier for him at Celtic.“After one day I pulled him in after training and said ‘look, you are not going to be here long. Enjoy yourself.’“He was just that good. I could not believe my luck that we got him from Groningen for €2 million. He had everything.“Pace, great physicality, technique and superb in the air in both boxes.”"
Even Neil Lennon knew at the time that Virgil van Dijk would not be in Scotland long. It isn’t a knock on Celtic or Scottish football. Instead, Celtic should be proud that it is able to produce such world-class players at an incredible clip.
Celtic fans will either cherish players for who they are, or quickly dismiss them for leaving the club for wanting to further their career. There is little in between. In the case of van Dijk, even Neil Lennon knew the defender would soon be playing on a massive stage. You can’t fault him for that.