How Virgil van Dijk saved Celtic from further embarrassment in the 6-1 hammering at the Nou Camp

Final time Virgil van Dijk visited the Nou Camp, he was a part of a Celtic defence which conceded SIX objectives to Barcelona throughout a Champions League battering.

The new PFA Player of the Year might be eager to avenge that evening when he returns with Liverpool for the primary leg of their semi-final on Wednesday.

However his former Celtic team-mate, Joe Ledley, insists the Dutchman shouldn’t remorse the humbling in Spain – as a result of he stopped Barcelona scoring much more.

“We weren’t at it in any respect,” Ledley, now at Derby, instructed The Sun. “Virgil, and credit score to him, he was good. It might have been much more with out him.”

Neymar tore the Celtic defence to shreds with a hat-trick on the evening again in December 2013 – and tonight Van Dijk faces the ominous process of holding Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi quiet.

Van Dijk has become one of the best defenders in the world – and Liverpool boast Europe’s tightest defence thanks largely to his influence.

While Ledley thinks the world of his former team-mate, he fears the brilliant Argentine may prove too much to handle.

“Messi drifts in and out of games and you don’t see him at times. When you do see him you are struggling,” Ledley added.

“He can change a game whenever he wants. It will be difficult for Liverpool because Barcelona are a fantastic team. They have had a fantastic season and hopefully they can continue it.

“But I’ve not been surprised by the rise of Virgil at all. We could see straight away from when he signed at Celtic how good he was.

“He was so calm and had all the things. He might hit photographs, win headers, he’s robust, fast and you possibly can see again then how good of a participant he was going to be.

“Folks disrespect Scottish soccer and say he ought to be doing that in that division however he was ready for the chance and Southampton got here in.

“I used to be stunned he went beneath the radar and different golf equipment didn’t snap him up as £10million was a steal.

“He’s quietly received on along with his job however you possibly can see the power he had.

“It was nice to play alongside him, he was good for Celtic and he’s gone on from energy to energy each season since.

“He’s nonetheless younger and Liverpool is an enormous membership to play for however he’s gone in there and executed his job.

“He’s received the expertise of enjoying for Celtic and that has helped him. He’s a unbelievable participant.”

Ledley was talking at a McDonald’s Enjoyable Soccer Centre. The Enjoyable Soccer programme is designed to introduce kids to soccer and you’ll register for a session at www.mcdonalds.co.uk/funfootball