‘Special’ – Van Dijk raves about left-sided ace after he agrees terms with Celtic
By James Black
Southampton star Virgil van Dijk doesn’t “think there is any rush” for Celtic sensation Kieran Tierney to move away from Celtic Park.
The left-back has been attracting interest from a host of clubs in England but recently signed a new six-year deal with the Scottish champions.
Van Dijk played alongside Tierney in his early appearances for the Hoops and came up against the 20-year-old in Scotland’s 1-0 defeat by The Netherlands.
The Dutch ace is pleased to see his old colleague doing well and refused to speculate on how far Tierney can go in the game – insisting the Hoops are an “amazing club.”
“He’s been doing very well and I think Celtic are very smart to tie him down for the next six years,” van Dijk said, as quoted by Sky Sports’ website.
“It’s good to see him as the captain as well.
“I can remember that day he made his debut at Dundee. Since then he has been progressing every game.
“That’s not up to me (how far Tierney can go) but it’s good to see he’s making progress.
“He was the captain of his country and that’s very special at 20-years-old.
“I don’t even know if he wants to go to the Premier League.
“Celtic is an amazing club for him as well and I don’t think there is any rush for him to leave.”
Tierney captained Scotland in the defeat by the Dutch – becoming the youngest player to do so since Darren Fletcher – and has been a stand-out for Celtic in recent months.
The defender has been a constant feature in the Hoops’ starting XI as they have romped to a record-breaking 63-game unbeaten domestic run under Brendan Rodgers.
Rodgers has also given the 20-year-old the armband for the Hoops on a handful of occassions and Tierney has continued to impress despite his age.
Tierney’s new contract keeps him at Celtic Park until 2023.
In other Celtic news, Emilio Izaguirre has revealed the reason why he left Celtic
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