SCOTT BROWN has discussed the transformation of Liverpool’s defensive anchor, Virgil Van Dijk. The Celtic captain played with Van Dijk from 2013 until he left for Southampton in 2015 and when speaking to BBC Sportsound, Brown listed Van Dijk as the best he had ever played with.
Van Dijk arrived from Groningen for £2.5m and was far from the finished article that we see dominating in the Premier League. Despite this, Brown lists him as the best he has played with as well as discussing how he progressed into the £75m defender.
“Virgil. Absolute Rolls Royce. He came and you knew he had quality but he just at the time didn’t look after himself as well as he probably should have done.”
Scott Brown reckons that the progress of Van Dijk was aided by Neil Lennon’s strict gym regime that had him turned into a top athlete as well as a winner. Van Dijk has already won the Champions League under Jurgen Klopp and is on track for the Anfield club’s first title in 30 years.
“Neil had him in the gym, double sessions, and he lost about half a stone or three-quarters of a stone.“You just saw him slowly producing these quality results, pulling everyone together.
“He pretty much held that back four together through thick and thin and you appreciate what he’s doing now because you see he’s the best defender in the world now.
“He just goes up gears and I don’t think anyone beat him in a one-on-one in the English Premier League for about seventy-eighty games.
“He was an absolute Rolls Royce. You could see he was going to go through another couple of levels as well.
“There are a lot of fast players in this league and he was just cruising past them. That’s a big 6ft 4in centre-half so you can imagine what he’s like now and how well he’s doing.”
Brown also claims that the winning mentally that Lennon instilled in Van Dijk is what has helped him push on and become a top player, as well as suggesting that the battle-hardened Lennon has mellowed since his first spell as manager.
“He developed him into becoming a winner. The gaffer does that to everybody and I think that’s the best talent he’ll ever have.
“He was a winner as a player and he’s a winner as a manager, he wants the best for every single person.
“He’s mellowed in his age, shall I say, but he’s cherishing the role just now and he’s absolutely flying. He’s doing all the work possible and he’s coming in with a smile on his face as well.”
INVINCIBLE by Matt Corr
The Celtic Star’s very own Matt Corr – who you may also know as a Tour Guide at Celtic Park – publishes his first Celtic book, titled INVINCIBLE – early next month. This beautiful hardback book will be the definitive story of Celtic’s magical2016-17 season – it truly is wonderful, a real joy to read, and brilliantly written by Matt.
If you have been reading Matt’s regular contributions on The Celtic Star or indeed in the Matchday Programme or in the Celtic View you will know just how talented a Celtic writer he is. The book is published by The Celtic Star and you can pre-order below.
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