There was a point when Celtic almost parted ways with Virgil van Dijk for only £3million.

That's according to Neil Warnock, who has recalled trying to lure the Dutch defender down south while he was manager of Crystal Palace. 

Van Dijk departed Celtic after two seasons in 2015 as he joined Southampton on a five-year deal for a fee widely reported to be around £11million. 

Warnock, 75, had a short stint at Palace the year earlier and even sent a scout up to Scotland to cast an eye on Van Dijk in the hope he could tempt him to Selhurst Park. 

But after coming to the conclusion that the centre-back was the man he wanted, Warnock was advised by chairman Steve Parish that Van Dijk wasn't quick enough for the English Premier League and to look for alternatives. 

Speaking on the No Tippy Tappy Football Podcast, the iconic EFL manager revealed Van Dijk, who has went on to make over 300 appearances for Liverpool and won several major honours, even acknowledged the transfer rejection when they met several seasons later. 

He said: “Van Dijk was at Celtic and I nearly signed him to Crystal Palace for £3million. When he was there I sent someone up to watch him play and he came back and said ‘he’ll do for us!’.

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“I said to Steve Parish, who’s still at Palace now, and the stats man that I want to sign Van Dijk for three million pounds. Parish, as with many of the other chairmen, rely on the stats man and he was saying that he didn’t think he was quick enough for the Premier League.
 
“I told them why he doesn’t look quick, because he reads the game so well that he doesn’t have to break a sweat! I told them that if he was pushed in the Premier League, he’d sprint.

"We didn’t end up signing him and Southampton picked him up for four or five million and ended up getting 70 odd million for him when Liverpool signed him.
 
“I remember when we played Liverpool next, Van Dijk came up to me and said, ‘you nearly signed me!’ – he knew all about it. I said to him, ‘they told me you weren’t quick, you’re not really quick, are you?’ – and then I ran away from him!”