It’s always good for a football writer to get one right, as it might not happen often. So I am glad that I can say I told you so when it comes to Virgil van Dijk and Southampton.

Back in the summer of 2015, I stated that I believed the Dutchman would be a success if he moved from the Scottish Premiership to the English Premier League.

Just over a year later and the £13m spent by Southampton to get their man from Celtic looks like an absolute bargain.

Against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City on Sunday, the Dutchman was the best defender on the park and was probably the best player on the park for that matter. Not bad when you consider John Stones and Vincent Kompany were at the back for City and Van Dijk was up against Sergio Aguero.

Once again he showed a very composed performance and dominated for much of the game.

It can be a bit hit and miss for players coming to the Premier League from the Scottish Premiership but Virgil managed to make the transition with ease.

Good in the tackle, Van Dijk is also fast and comfortable with the ball at his feet. His vision to read the game is also outstanding. He’s almost the ideal modern day centre-back as he ticks most of the boxes.

The centre-half is also a big threat going forward especially in the box attacking set-pieces.

The move to Southampton has helped gain him his first international cap for the Netherlands, which is a shame for the Dutch because he was more than ready for that when he was still at Celtic Park. He now has eight caps and already looks a mainstay for his country.

After yet another summer of turbulence the Saints have once again managed to ride the waves and remained strong in both the league and in Europe. A lot of that has been down to the consistency in their top performers and Virgil van Dijk’s certainly on that list!

Come summer 2017, I’d imagine Southampton will find out that Van Dijk’s performances has won him a lot admirers and it could lead to bids upwards of £35m!

Posted on October 24th, 2016 by scott
Filed under: Article