After only two weeks training with Virgil I told my agent that I had a problem .. this guy’s so good there’s no way I’ll get in Celtic team ahead of him
My son was conceived in Scotland – the country left a mark on me so we named him Cameron, a thanks for all the love
Virgil came from a tough background and that made him impenetrable. His confidence struck me and you could see in his eyes he was hungry. When I see him on TV I feel happy and proud I had a chance to partner him
Virgil van Dijk can mark the seventh anniversary of joining Celtic by taking a giant step towards ending Liverpool’s 30-year wait for the title in tonight’s Merseyside derby.
The Dutchman will head across Stanley Park to a ghostly Goodison Park where victory could see the runaway Reds crowned champions as early as tomorrow if Manchester City lose at home to Burnley.
But it’s only a matter of time before Jurgen Klopp’s men will be out of reach and Van Dijk can add a Premier League winners’ medal to his Champions League gong from last season.
It will continue a remarkable journey for Van Dijk, who left his homeland on this day in 2013 and crossed the North Sea to sign for Neil Lennon’s Hoops in a £2.5million move from Groningen.
After picking up a couple of Scottish league titles and the League Cup, Van Dijk earned a move to Southampton then became the world’s most expensive defender with a £75m switch to Liverpool.
The 28-year-old takes everything in his stride – but it hasn’t always been plain sailing.
He faced a shock start to his Hoops career and an embarrassing Euro baptism af ter a 2- 0 defeat to Shakhter Karagandy in Kazakhstan.
Van Dijk made his debut off the bench in a victory at Pittodrie three days earlier and like Lennon’s men, who won the return 3- 0 to progress in the Champions League, he recovered to become a huge success.
Yet while Van Dijk has gone from strength to strength since that night, the career of his central defensive partner in those first two games could hardly be more contrasting.
Steven Mouyokolo might not be a name as well remembered by Celtic fans. He made just one more appearance after that night in Kazakhstan – as an injury-time sub at Tannadice towards the end of that season.
The Frenchman arrived during that same summer seven years ago following a successful trial during pre-season.
But a ruptured
Achi l les tendon during a training session wrecked his Celtic career and, ultimately, ended his playing career.
While Van Dijk has proved the real deal it has been real estate for Mouyokolo, just 26 when he signed for Celtic, after hanging up his boots.
But the 33-year-old former Wolves and Hull City defender is delighted for his old team-mate and knew he was destined for the top from their first couple of training sessions.
Mouyokolo loved his time in Glasgow despite spending so much time on the treatment table.
He even named his son Cameron as a reminder of his stint in Scotland.
Speaking to MailSport from his family home in France, he said: “I haven’t been surprised by Virgil’s success. It’s easy for me to say now that I could see he would go to the top when you see what he’s doing.
“When I left Celtic I told friends to follow him and that he would be one of the best.
“When I see him on TV now I feel happy and proud that I had the chance to partner someone like him.
“Losing to Shakhter Karagandy was a tough experience. It was difficult, playing abroad on a plastic pitch and Champions League games are different.
“But it happens in football – and in Virgil’s case he went on to have a great career. Mine is a total ly different story from Virgil’s since we played together.
“I did my Achilles and it was difficult after that. I had to retire from football and
I ’ ve moved into real estate, helping players with investments.
“But I enjoyed my time so much in
Scotland. My son was conceived in Scotland and was due to be born there but we left a couple of months before it happened.
“The country left a mark on me so we named him Cameron. It was like a thank you for all the love I received over there. Despite my injury it is still one of my best experiences in football and I met great people.
“After Celtic I returned to Sochaux and was waiting for great challenges but they didn’t come. “I had a trial in China and had offers in the second and third division overseas but it’s hard after you leave a club like Celtic.”
Lennon has joked he thought Van Dijk must have had something w rong w ith him because, after seeing him play, he was staggered other clubs hadn’t snapped him up.
And Mouyokolo admitted after watching the defender that he knew it would ma k e it a real challenge to get in the Celtic first team.
He said: “Af ter I arrived at Celtic I phoned my agent and told him there was a big problem .
“It was going to be difficult for me to play – and the reason was Virgil.
“In the first two weeks of training I was thinking: ‘ This guy is serious and it’s going to be very competitive.’
“His conf idence struck me and I could see it in his eyes he was hungry for success. He came from a tough background and that made him impenetrable.
“Virgil knew exactly what he wanted and he became a £75m player because he worked so hard. He was amazing.
“There were only three centrebacks at the time and we spent a lot of time together – I loved Virgil.
“I got on very well with him and he was one of the guys I was closest to and I’m so happy for him.”