Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has claimed that Fulham midfielder Stefan Johansen was the best player he played with at Celtic. 

The Champions League-winning central defender spent two years with the Scottish giants before making his move to the Premier League with Southampton in 2015.

Van Dijk made 115 appearances for Celtic in total and helped them win two consecutive SPFL titles and one Scottish League Cup.

The Dutchman's time at Celtic Park overlapped with Johansen's and it appears that the central midfielder made a real impression on him.

Johansen arrived at the club six months after van Dijk and quickly became an integral part of the side.

The Norweigan was at his best during van Dijk's final year at the club, the 2015/16 season, as he scored 13 goals and grabbed 10 assists.

In a Q&A on Twitter, the Liverpool man was asked who the best player that he played alongside at Celtic was and he singled out Johansen.

Van Dijk left the club to join Southampton in September 2015 and the Norway international followed him into English football a year later – signing for Fulham in August 2016.

The 29-year-old has been fantastic for the Cottagers since – grabbing 21 goals and 22 assists in 133 games and missing just one league game during their promotion-winning season.

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The Verdict

This is high praise indeed. Van Dijk is widely considered one of the best players in the world and won the UEFA Player of the Year award in 2019.

He played with some impressive players during his time at Celtic but it appears he rates Johansen above all of those, which is a big claim.

The Norway international has been in and out of the Fulham side since the turn of the year, so it appears that Scott Parker doesn't quite share his view.