Star grateful Celtic ‘did dare to take the plunge’ by signing him – Celtic Park move gave him perfect opportunity
Prior to Brendan Rodgers assuming control at Celtic, Virgil van Dijk spent two seasons with the Scottish Premiership team. The Dutch defender was acquired from FC Groningen for €2.75m and made a significant impression, prompting his swift transfer to Southampton for over five times the initial fee.
This paved the way for his €85m transfer to Liverpool in 2018, where he has remained ever since. Nonetheless, it was Celtic who provided him with his first opportunity outside the Netherlands, a gesture he expressed gratitude for in an interview with Voetbal International, as relayed by Voetbal Primeur.
Reflecting on his career journey, the centre-back elucidated that typically, promising young Dutch players commence their careers with smaller clubs before progressing to one of the “big three” – PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord Rotterdam, or Ajax Amsterdam. Only thereafter do they explore opportunities abroad, such as in the Premier League.
However, when Van Dijk was seeking a move, none of the trio showed interest, leading him to Celtic. He remarked, “When you play as a young boy at FC Groningen, a move to the Dutch top is logical, the traditional route, but the top three were not convinced of my qualities so it became Celtic.
That club did dare to take the plunge with me and that made me take a step that might have involved a few question marks.”
His on-field performances swiftly dispelled any doubts, endearing him to Celtic Park despite his departure almost nine years ago.
