Everyone inside Celtic had total belief in Virgil Van Dijk but people in football didn't, reveals David Moss
Ex-Celtic scout David Moss has revealed that he received many queries from Premier League clubs for the transfer of Virgil Van Dijk but despite his glowing recommendations, several people wouldn't listen to his advice. Van Dijk eventually joined Southampton and then Liverpool, thriving at Anfield.
Virgil Van Dijk signed for Celtic from Groningen in the summer of 2013 for a meagre fee of 2.6 million but the Dutch defender established himself as a mainstay at the heart of the Celtic defense and put in numerous impressive performances which attracted the attention of a host of Premier League clubs. Southampton ultimately brought him to England and Van Dijk put on stellar displays in his outings across three seasons before signing for Liverpool.
The move shocked many as it saw the Reds spend a £75 million, which was the then world-record fee in football for a defender, but Van Dijk has since gone on to cement his status as one of the best defenders in the world. The 30-year-old has not only made 144 appearances but has also won a Premier League title and a Champions League trophy during his time at the club. In light of that, former Celtic scout David Moss has admitted that he saw the potential in Van Dijk a long time ago and tried to convince clubs to sign him to no avail.
“When he was at Celtic, the number of Premier League clubs that used to phone me and ask about Van Dijk was huge. I always said the same things to everyone: ‘He is like a grown man playing in a children’s playground - he stands out like a sore thumb. Just sign him immediately, don’t think about it. 'Incredibly, I kept getting excuses,” Moss told Goal.
"They were often about his performances in the Champions League or saying doing it in the Scottish league didn’t mean a lot, and people wouldn’t listen. Everyone inside Celtic had total belief in him, but a lot of people in football didn’t."