Virgil van Dijk was always very highly rated during his time at Celtic but not even the most optimistic fan could have predicted how much he would go on to achieve in the game. The Dutchman would depart Parkhead in order to join Southampton. After shining there, Liverpool were believed to have shelled out a £75 million transfer fee to take him to Anfield and he has proven to be worth every penny.

Van Dijk has arguably been the best defender in the world since his move to Liverpool and has been a massive part of the club’s success under the management of Jurgen Klopp.

One youngster at Celtic, who is catching a few eyes these days is Bosun Lawal, who joined in the summer of 2021 from Watford. There are high expectations surrounding him to say the least.

Recently, the versatile defender, who is also capable of playing in midfield with equal ease, has drawn comparisons with Van Dijk. As reported by 67 Hail Hail, while speaking to Celtic TV, Lawal said:

“I see van Dijk really, yeah, I watch a lot of van Dijk.

“A bit [Kalidou] Koulibaly. I try to take a bit from a lot of centre-backs and defenders, and just mould into one. I can try to be like them, but I can just be myself. Just play the way I play. That’s it, really.”

Celtic youngster responds to Van Dijk comparison

It is safe to say that Lawal is a player that Celtic fans must keep an eye on. He can be a regular feature in the senior team in the future. If he can even have half the career that Van Dijk has had, it would be considered as a huge success.

But at the same time, the club must be careful. They need to get the timing right with Lawal, as we have already seen several youngsters leave Celtic for other clubs around Europe, before ever really making a mark at Parkhead.

It goes without saying that that is far from ideal and Celtic will be hoping that things turn out differently when it comes to Lawal. Let’s hope he remains at Parkhead for the foreseeable future.

This article was originally posted here