Micah Richards: Even at Celtic i Know he is going to be a world class player
Micah Richards has spoken about the greatness of former Celtic star Virgil van Dijk and the career he has had in the Premier League.
A key player for Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool, it was in the colours of Celtic when he first properly introduced himself to the rest of the world.
After spending two years with the Bhoys, which included two Scottish titles, Virgil van Dijk made the move into English football, at first with Southampton before winning the big trophies, including the Premier League title and the Champions League, with Liverpool.
And when naming his top ten Dutch Premier League footballers of all-time, ex-England right-back Micah Richards put Virgil van Dijk fifth in his all-time list, as he told MOTD Top Ten.
Legendary Arsenal forward Dennis Bergkamp was named top of his list, with Ruud van Nistelrooy, Robin van Persie and Jaap Stam making up the rest of his top five.
When Virgil van Dijk was at Celtic, Micah Richards shared how he ‘knew he was going to be a star’ and the ‘effortless’ nature in which he played the game.
Virgil van Dijk at Celtic
“He had that bad spell at Southampton, remember when they were conceding a lot of goals,” said Richards. “Everyone was saying ‘he was too overpriced’.
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“You saw him, even when he was at Celtic, I knew he was going to be a star. I just knew it. He was effortless. Another player who came out with the ball. Fast. Strong.”
Virgil van Dijk’s greatness
For a number of years, you could have argued that the 32-year-old was the best defender in the world, bar none.
It was a big reason why Liverpool dominated English football and Europe.
The effortless nature in which he would go through games, see off any player, be brave enough to defend one-v-one against anyone and make those around him better.
It’s a big reason why many Liverpool fans regard him so, so highly and it’s something Celtic fans will know too well because they saw that quality from the get-go at Parkhead.
But since picking up a long-term knee injury in 2020, his form has started to dip, and to no one’s surprise, Liverpool haven’t looked the same.
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