VIRGIL VAN DIJK has been fulsome in his praise of Celtic’s record-breaking 63 domestic games without defeat.
The historic feat may not be recognised by such football luminaries as Tony ‘Calamity’ Cascarino and Joey ‘Blunder’ Barton, but the £50million-rated defender is aware of what his old club have achieved.
Van Dijk, who left the champions in a £13million move to Southampton in 2015, paid tribute to Brendan Rodgers’ side’s undefeated sequence that beat their own 100-year-old UK run when they overwhelmed St Johnstone 4-0 in Perth at the weekend.
The classy Dutchman said: “They have been unbelievable. They have done brilliantly and I always look out for Celtic’s results.
“When you play for Celtic, your love for the club never goes away.
“They have made great strides under Brendan Rodgers.
‘They made history last week and that was great to see. It shows how strong they are and, hopefully, they can keep going.’
Looking at Europe, Van Dijk, who could net the Hoops over £6million in a sell-on fee if he quits the south coast Saints in January, added: “They have had some good games against some top teams.
“It is hard for them, but it is great to see them back in the Champions League.
“The club and the fans deserve to be at that stage.”
NEW CQN PODCAST OUT NOW!
A Celtic State of Mind presents its 23rd instalment of insightful discussion into the culture of Celtic Football Club, the city of Glasgow, and fans of the reigning invincible Scottish champions.
Paul John Dykes is joined by Bafta-winning documentary director, John MacLaverty, and Scottish comedian, Phil Differ.
John’s Lisbon Lions documentary – Glasgow: 1967 – is an incredible celebration of Celtic’s European Cup win 50 years on.
Phil has been a staple part of Scottish comedy for decades, and has worked on such iconic productions as Scotch & Wry, Naked Video, City Lights, Rab C Nesbitt and Only An Excuse.
The CQN Podcast has gone from strength-to-strength over the last few months, and there are many more guests lined up in the months ahead from the world of sport, music, film, art, broadcasting, literature and politics.
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