Virgil Van Dijk
BARCELONA, SPAIN - DECEMBER 11: Neymar (2.R) of FC Barcelona beats Virgil van Dijk of Celtic FC to score his team's 4th goal during the UEFA Champions League, Group H match between FC Barcelona and Celtic FC at the Camp Nou Stadium on December 11, 2013 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
A clip from Virgil van Dijk’s Celtic days has gone viral — although it comes from a night most Hoops supporters would probably rather forget.
Early Van Dijk ⏪
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— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) October 5, 2026
The former Celtic defender recently reminisced about his time in Glasgow by sharing an image of himself competing against Xavi in the Champions League following the legendary midfielder’s appointment as Netherlands manager.
Van Dijk and Xavi crossed paths during the 2013/14 campaign, the Dutchman’s first season at Celtic after arriving from Groningen.
Neil Lennon’s side were handed a brutal Champions League group alongside Barcelona, AC Milan and Ajax, with Celtic eventually finishing bottom.
Their European campaign ended in particularly painful fashion with a 6-1 defeat at the Nou Camp.
More than a decade later, however, Van Dijk’s individual display that night has unexpectedly resurfaced.
UEFA shared a compilation of the defender’s performance against Barcelona under the caption “Early van Dijk”, and the footage has since racked up more than 1.5 million views on X.
Despite Celtic conceding six, the clip highlights some of the qualities which would eventually help Van Dijk establish himself as one of the world’s leading defenders.
It features the then 22-year-old producing goal-line clearances and last-ditch tackles while also showing the composure in possession that became a trademark of his game.
Neymar scored a hat-trick for Barcelona that evening, while Lionel Messi missed the match through injury.
It proved to be a miserable night for Celtic, but the resurfaced footage provides another reminder of the talent Van Dijk was already displaying during his two seasons at the Hoops.
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