Neil Warnock Get the latest Celtic news sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter More Newsletters Subscribe Please enter a valid email Something went wrong, please try again later. More Newsletters We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info Thank you for subscribing! We have more newsletters Show me See Our Privacy Notice See Our Privacy Notice × Group 28 Get the latest Celtic news sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign Up No thanks, close We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info × Group 28 Thank you for subscribing! We have more newsletters Show Me No thanks, close See our Privacy Notice Former Aberdeen boss Neil Warnock has returned to
Scotland to revisit his greatest regret – but not all is at seems over his botched pursuit of
Liverpool great Virgil Van Dijk. The 75-year-old exited the Granite City quick-smart last month but is back on the circuit for his upcoming tour as he regales punters with tales from a management career which has spanned six decades and 14 clubs. And it revolves around him missing out on one of the world's best defenders of his generation. The Van Dijk story is one of a player being overlooked on countless occasions but Warnock is adamant only a boffin at Crystal Palace stopped him swooping in and landing him from Celtic ... but there's one wee problem. The
Football lifer now claims the Netherlands skipper – who has won at al at Anfield – could have been had for a fee as little as £3million. Read More Related Articles The 'weird' Rangers reaction as
BBC commentator bares all over atmosphere against Celtic he's NEVER known Read More Related Articles Chris Sutton fires back at Graeme Souness as Celtic hero tells Rangers legend 'you're talking NONSENSE' Celtic paid £2.6million to Groningen for his services and Van Dijk's value soared weeks into his two-year spell in Glasgow. The fact Southampton paid £13m in 2015 underlines the absurdity of Warnock's latest riff on his well-told story. The cult boss claims Van Dijk made a beeline for him to remind him of the failed pursuit. But it hasn't always been praise, of course, with Warnock once claiming former Hibs defender Sol Bamba was better at the basics. Record Sport takes you on a roller coaster of fees, near misses and clamps which show no signs of slowing down. A history of VVD claims from Warnock April 2024 "Absolutely. Crystal Palace, right, Steve Parish, the chairman, everything was data based. And we don't sign players unless they are this, that and the other. We had a scout in Scotland tell us about a player, a good player, I won't tell you his name yet, a good player. "We were looking for a centre half, I sent Ronnie Jepsen up to watch him, He played all right and Ronnie said 'he'll do for us, gaffer', so I told the chairman he's going to cost £3million , but he's a good player, good on the ball. I just thought it would be a formality. So the chairman said to me 'we don't think he's quick enough this player'. Virgil van Dijk during his two seasons with the Hoops "I said 'what do you mean he's not quick enough? He said it doesn't look like he can sprint. I said 'chairman, in all due respect, he doesn't have to sprint, he reads the game that well, he's always in front of everybody. That's ridiculous. But he (Parrish) said: "That's on the data, or whatever you call it. We didn't sign him and this lad was called Van Dijk." June 2022 "The one that got away from me was Virgil van Dijk. I got offered him when I was at Crystal Palace for £5million. But my chief scout said he was too slow and he ended up at Southampton instead. It’s a shame because anything he may lack in pace, he makes up for 10-fold in his ability to read the game." October 2018 “I’m delighted he’s playing like he is. We could have bought him at Palace for £6million but my chief scout told me he was too slow. I think he’s still in a
Job as well!” August 2018 “Bamba is slightly better than van Dijk, defensive-wise.. I just think Sol’s a very, very good defender. He’s nowhere near like Van Dijk with the ball at his feet or calmness on the ball – (but) in a defensive situation I’d back Sol." Story Saved You can find this story in My Bookmarks. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Follow Daily Record
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