Former Gronigen defender Kees Kwakman - who played alongside a young Virgil van Dijk at the Dutch outfit - says he didn’t see the Liverpool star’s rise to stardom coming.
Kwakman played 47 times for Gronigen between 2011-13 but admitted he failed to spot Van Dijk’s potential despite interest from Italian giants AC Milan.
“Did we see then that he would be the most expensive defender in the world? If I said yes, I would be lying,” he admitted to Goal. “It went step by step.
“At first, we thought ‘OK this is a talented player’. After a few weeks, it was ‘alright, he has his place in the starting line-up’, and then after six months it was ‘he has nothing to do with us in Groningen’. So, it was progressive.
“When I arrived, he was very young. He was not yet a regular part of the first team. But from the first weeks, you could see he was a player apart.
“A great defender, of course, but he was also very good and comfortable with the ball at his feet.
“It was obvious that he was a real talent, and he quickly gained his place in the starting line-up. And it did not take too long to see that he was a really great player.
“With the ball, he was very at ease and impressive, especially because of his stature. And he was also a real fighter.
“He first joined Celtic, in a lesser league than the Premier League, to first adapt to the British style of play. From there, he went to Southampton and, finally, Liverpool. So, I think he made the right choices and was well advised.
“I remember that, when he was in Groningen, AC Milan were interested in him. But, for a player who was moving abroad for the first time, he followed a good trajectory.
“He played very well in each of these clubs. Seeing him at Southampton, I was convinced that he would have his place at a very big club.”
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