West Ham's legendary figure enrages Southampton fans with Van Dijk dig | OneFootball

David Moyes ignored mentioning Southampton while acknowledging club hero Virgil Van Dijk's brilliant Celtic and Liverpool career.

Over the years, West Ham and Southampton haven't drawn out any entertaining rivalry at the biggest stage. In fact, the 2011/12 Championship promotion race stands as the closest mention to remember the duo going neck-to-neck on the pitch.

Well, the final matchday was billed as a must-win game for the Saints but Billy Sharp's heroics ensured a promotional cakewalk for Southampton. Later, West Ham also worked their way up from the playoffs so, the Hammers would have put that competitive campaign to bed.

Yet, there is always some sort of a banter element among participating clubs before any Premier League fixture. And, West Ham have taken the first jibe on the Saints through their respected manager David Moyes.

Moyes carelessly ignored Southampton while applauding Van Dijk

Though Moyes isn't tied with West Ham currently, his Premier League consistency and respectful gestures in the past five years speak for themselves. Hence, it's definitely intriguing that he resorted to downplay Southampton days before his former employers host the Saints.

So, Moyes was asked for his opinion on Southampton fan favourite Virgil Van Dijk's recent contract renewal.

In response, Moyes made a cheeky dig at Southampton while talking to Sky Sports saying: "He's been a terrific player for Celtic and he's certainly been a terrific player for Liverpool."

Simply put, Moyes left naming Southampton where Van Dijk made a name for himself in the Premier League.

Honestly, this can't be merely unintentional when Moyes recalled his initial Celtic days also while praising him. Agreed, Southampton haven't done anything worth boasting in recent memory but Van Dijk's star-making St. Mary's stay during the club's best years can't be forgotten in a blink.

Clearly, Moyes has done West Ham an off-field favour by ignoring Southampton and let's stay optimistic that the present Everton coach learns a lesson in humility on the weekend.