Former Celtic scout David Moss says Premier League clubs weren't brave enough to sign Virgil van Dijk.

Van Dijk has been hailed as one of the world's best centre-backs after resolving Jurgen Klopp's defensive woes and guiding Liverpool to Champions League glory and their first Premier League title in 30 years.

"When he was at Celtic, the number of Premier League clubs that used to phone me and ask about Van Dijk was huge," Moss said.

"I always said the same things to everyone: 'He is like a grown man playing in a children's playground - he stands out like a sore thumb. Just sign him immediately, don't think about it'.

"He was fast, won all his headers, you couldn't beat him one-v-one, he could pass 60 yards on both feet and he scored free-kicks. Incredibly, I kept getting excuses.

"They were often about his performances in the Champions League or saying doing it in the Scottish league didn't mean a lot, and people wouldn't listen.

"Everyone inside Celtic had total belief in him, but a lot of people in football didn't. For me, he didn't need the Southampton step, he was ready for a big six move straight from Celtic. They just weren't brave enough to bring him in."