What Virgil van Dijk said about Andy Robertson 13 years ago turned out to be quite prophetic | OneFootball

Virgil van Dijk has recalled the first time that Andy Robertson had caught his eye, several years before the two defenders would become teammates at Liverpool.

The duo have played together at Anfield since the start of 2018, but they’ll no longer be in the same line-up from next season as the Scottish left-back will bid farewell to Merseyside (along with Mo Salah) after Sunday’s Premier League clash at home to Brentford.

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Throughout their shared journey with LFC, a photo has done the rounds on social media showing them in opposition during a match between Celtic and Dundee United in 2013/14, and it was as far back as then that the Dutchman knew his future teammate had something special about him.

Van Dijk had wanted Celtic to sign Robertson many years ago

Van Dijk spoke to liverpoolfc.com about Robertson and Salah ahead of their Liverpool farewell, and he recalled the impression that the Scot made on him when they were playing in the Premiership a dozen seasons ago.

The Reds captain said: “I remember the game pretty well; we spoke about it quite a lot over those years. I think I was already – I won’t say a big fan of him – but I was impressed by him and I told the scouts at Celtic to try to get him at Celtic when he was at Dundee United.

“Unfortunately, at the time they didn’t listen, but everything happens for a reason and eventually we got to play together, and I think the rest is history.”

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Even then, Van Dijk knew Robertson was something special

If someone had said at the start of 2014 that Van Dijk and Robertson would be teammates at Liverpool within four years, it would’ve seemed quite hard to believe at the time, but now it’s hard to imagine the Reds’ defence featuring neither of those exceptional stalwarts.

They both used their time in Scotland to earn a move to the Premier League, joining Southampton and Hull respectively before converging at Anfield in 2018, where they’ve become prominent figures in a glorious era for the Merseyside club.

The Scottish left-back might no longer be a regular starter for LFC, having been usurped by Milos Kerkez, but his influence on his teammates is clear from what 2025 signing Jeremie Frimpong has said about him, and he will be sorely missed after he departs in the summer.

The exits of Robertson and Salah represent another step away from the peak of the Jurgen Klopp era, and if (as seems likely) Van Dijk leaves at the end of his contract next year, that’ll make the glory years under the German feel even more distant.

Liverpool are facing into a period of major transition, although we can say from the skipper’s testimony about his long-time teammate that he has a very sharp eye for a standout player which could see him become a formidable recruitment specialist after he finishes his playing career!