CELTIC captain Scott Brown joked that he didn’t think he had it in him as he congratulated former Celt Virgil Van Dijk in winning the Goal 50 award for 2019. And the manager Neil Lennon, who signed the Dutch defender for Celtic during his first term as Celtic boss, told VVD that he believes he’s the best defender in the World and that he’s come along way since a bounce game against Carlisle at Lennoxtown.
“Virgil van Dijk’s route to the top has been far from straightforward but the Dutch defender is now a Champions League winner, Ballon d’Or nominee and ranked alongside legends of the game Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
“In this exclusive interview, Goal’s Liverpool correspondent Neil Jones talks to him about his road to success and congratulates him on winning the Goal 50 in 2019.”
Van Dijk recognises the contribution that both the Celtic manager and captain have had on his own career. A point that is often overlooked by Liverpool fans is the impression that playing for Celtic had on van Dijk.
He talks about the Celtic support and the noise we made in a Champions League victory over Ajax an it was that passion from a fanatical support that ensured that the former Celt would have his heart set on joining Liverpool rather than for instance Manchester City.
And when you watch the Liverpool fans signing their Virgil Van Dijk version of Celtic’s Charlie Mulgrew song – Dirty Old Town – you understand why VVD saw a club and a support like Celtic in Liverpool. Here are the Liverpool fans’ words…
He’s a centre-half,
He’s a number four,
Watch him defend,
And we watch him score,
He’ll pass the ball,
Calm as you like,
He’s Virgil van Dijk,
He’s Virgil van Dijk
Recently I did an interview with the leading Liverpool fans site Empire of the Kop about Virgil’s time at Celtic, you can read that HERE.
Meanwhile here’s former Celtic winger Davie Provan’s ‘Frank and Fearless’ verdict on whether any English side would be prepared to spend £10million on Big Virgil. That aged well Davie!
And here’s the Green Brigade singing the Charlie Mulgrew song…
