Cardiff City boss Neil Warnock has revealed his former club Crystal Palace turned down the chance to sign Virgil van Dijk because he was deemed slow.
The 27-year-old Dutch centre-back, a long-term target for the Reds, completed a £75m move from Southampton in January.
However, things could have turned out differently. In 2014, Warnock expressed an interest in bringing Van Dijk to Selhurst Park from Celtic for a reported £6m, but he was advised otherwise.
“Van Dijk – I’m delighted he’s playing like he is,” he told reporters.
“We could have bought him at Palace for £6 million but my chief scout told me he was too slow. I think he’s still in a job as well!”
When Van Dijk arrived at Liverpool for a reported £75m last January, Warnock boldly claimed that Bluebirds centre-back Sol Bamba was a better defender than the Dutchman.
The former Southampton man has made a mockery of that comment since, transforming Liverpool’s backline into one of the most formidable defences in the Premier League.
Van Dijk the Red
Van Dijk marked his Liverpool debut with a goal in front of the Kop against Merseyside rivals Everton, which made him an instant fan favourite.
With each passing game he’d grow in stature, playing a pivotal role in the Reds turning their defensive fortunes around and guiding them to a Champions League final.
To date, the Dutch international, who was recently named captain by national team boss Ronald Koeman, has featured in no fewer than 34 matches for Liverpool.
So far this season he’s been ever-present for the Reds in the Premier League, having featured in their opening nine league outings and should line out for Klopp’s men when they welcome Cardiff to Anfield this weekend.
The post Why Neil Warnock passed on signing Virgil van Dijk at Crystal Palace appeared first on Squawka News.
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