Given the gulf in finances between Scottish and English football, unfortunately, Celtic have become that stepping stone for players and managers.
When it comes to club size, not many in English football can match or stand alongside Celtic, who have no choice but to accept the financial rewards that are put on their table when teams down south come knocking.
But that doesn’t mean the Celtic Park faithful haven’t been blessed to witness some serious players don their famous green and white colours.
Since the turn of the century, not many can match Virgil van Dijk and the ridiculous quality he showcased.
But despite being so highly-regarded, Charlie Mulgrew admits he never thought the Netherlands international would join one of the big boys in English football straight away.
Virgil van Dijk in action for Celtic against Inter in the UEFA Europa League.
Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
Virgil van Dijk’s rise after leaving Celtic
Eventually, van Dijk would join Liverpool in 2018, write his name into the history books, win two Premier League titles, a Champions League and become perhaps their greatest ever defender.
But speaking on the Warm Up, despite seeing van Dijk’s qualities from the get-go at Celtic, Mulgrew stated that he would have been ‘surprised’ if his centre-back partner had directly gone to a club like Arsenal.
Instead, the ice-cool defender moved to Southampton in 2015, and Mulgrew explained how he had ‘everything’ to his game.
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“It’s an easy one, van Dijk,” responded Mulgrew on who was his favourite centre-back partner. “Whenever I played with him, he had everything.
“It was like FIFA, when you make your own guy, he was like all 99s. He was the quickest. Best in the air. The strongest. Most skilful.
“He was the one player you thought, like Wanyama and stuff, you thought, ‘okay, they would get a move to Southampton or wherever they go.’
“You thought, ‘he could go to Real Madrid. He could go to Manchester United. Liverpool.’
Steven Naismith: “When he goes to Southampton. Are you thinking, ‘it’s only Southampton?'”
Mulgrew: “No, because you knew that was the route everybody took. I would have been more surprised if he had gone to Arsenal, because they never took the chances like that.
“There was never a player who went from Celtic straight there. There was always a stepping stone along the way. He had everything, though.”
Van Dijk ‘laughing’ at trying to be dribbled past in training
Some of the best players are those who can play the game at their own pace and act as if they are having a stroll across the pitch.
Van Dijk did that time and time again, as Mulgrew shared an insight into what one of Celtic’s best-ever players in modern times was like in training.
“I remember in training one day, possession ball and trying to dribble past him,” said Mulgrew. “He just started laughing.
“It was demoralising. He stuck his hand out. Such a strong, powerful, confident player. Don’t know how we got him. £2.5 million.”