Liverpool manager Arne Slot says one thing has ‘surprised’ him about Virgil van Dijk’s career

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Liverpool have always had a strong Dutch influence, with that connection growing this summer with the appointment of Arne Slot.

The former Feyenoord manager succeeded Jurgen Klopp at Anfield with Slot taking on the job like a duck to water, with the Netherlands coach looking like a dream fit for the Premier League giants this season.

With Slot already making history at Liverpool, the 46-year-old manager could become the next great coach on Merseyside, with the Reds winning 11 of their first 12 games this season and looking like favorites for the Premier League title.

Yet Slot has now shared one thing that has surprised him about Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk’s career.

Slot questions why top Dutch clubs didn’t sign Van Dijk

Speaking to Sky Sports, Slot shared his surprise that the biggest sides in the Netherlands didn’t sign Van Dijk earlier on in his career, with the defender breaking through at Groningen before winning a move to Celtic.

From there, Van Dijk move on to Southampton and then to Liverpool for a then-world-record fee worth £75m for a defender, where the Dutch international has since become captain of the Reds and one of the best centre-backs in the world since moving to Merseyside.

READ MORE: Everything to know on Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk from his tattoo to net worth

And for Slot, the Liverpool manager said he was shocked that a club like Ajax or PSV Eindhoven didn’t pick up on Van Dijk’s talents before his move to the United Kingdom, where the defender has since become one of the best.

Slot said Van Dijk: “I can’t remember much about that game [facing Van Dijk at Groningen], but what I remember is I knew he played at Groningen for a few years. He did well but it was a surprise that a traditional top side in Holland didn’t sign him, so he went to abroad to Celtic instead and he had a great career there.”

Van Dijk would not have ended up at Liverpool had he stayed home

Although the defender’s career on Anfield could be coming to an end with Saudi Arabian sides interested in signing Van Dijk, it’s impossible to imagine the 33-year-old centre-back becoming the player he is today without the initial move to Celtic.

Van Dijk took a big risk in moving to Scotland rather than staying home in the Netherlands where an Ajax or a PSV would have signed the defender, where the Liverpool captain’s development could have gone in a different direction.

And as a result, Van Dijk might not have even ended up at Liverpool had he stayed on Dutch soil, with the defender right to take a risk in joining Celtic and eventually the Premier League with the Reds.