Virgil van Dijk makes sensational claim about Celtic

When Virgil van Dijk first made name for himself on the European stage in Celtic colours, nobody could have imagined the heights that he would go on to achieve in football. Of course, it was clear even back then that he was a class apart, but since leaving Parkhead for Southampton, he has truly established himself as a world-class player and even finished second in the Ballon d’Or rankings a few years back.

Van Dijk is a Liverpool legend, winning everything that is there to win at the club level with the Reds and he will be captaining Netherlands at the World Cup in Qatar, as the Dutch continue their search for a maiden title.

While it might have been a long time since Van Dijk was at Celtic, it is clear that he still has fond memories of the club and an appreciation for the opportunity that he was given.

While speaking with Gary Neville on The Overlap about Celtic, Van Dijk said:

"“I played for one of the biggest clubs in the world that no one really realizes in my opinion. And I did not realise as much before I joined but when I joined, it was unbelievable.”"

Van Dijk calls Celtic one of the biggest clubs in the world

Van Dijk also mentioned how his experience with Celtic prepared him for the Premier League. And he certainly has delivered.

Many people even believe that Van Dijk is the best centre-back in the history of the Premier League, and while that might be up for debate, there is no doubt that the Dutch centre-back is one of the best players of his generation and the perfect modern day defender.

While Celtic might have given him the opportunity to announce himself on the world stage, with an unremarkable career until then, Van Dijk certainly took it with both hands and deserves all the credit in the world for how much he has gone on to achieve in the game. Still just 31 years of age though, he might have a lot more left in the tank.