Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk believes Scottish football's snipers are way off and has praised Celtic for bringing out his ruthless streak.
The 28-year-old is regarded by many as the finest defender in the world and enhanced his reputation during two eye-catching seasons in Glasgow between 2013 and 2015.
Van Dijk continued his upward trajectory at Southampton before the Reds splashed out £75m for his services in January 2018.
It was an inspired move that has reaped rewards for both player and club but the Dutch international insists his time in the Scotland remains pivotal.
And he had kind words for his former team, the pressure to perform and the trophy factor that continues to motivate him.
Speaking to Sky Sports, van Dijk said: "Moving to Celtic was a little bit similar to the step I took from Willem II to Groningen. Willem II is in the south of Holland, Groningen is in the north, so (moving to Celtic) was a totally different environment with a different language.
"Celtic is a massive club - people still underestimate how big it is - with European football and I spent two fantastic seasons there. I learned a lot about football and life. The European nights were outstanding, I learned a lot about how to deal with certain strikers.
"Then there's the Scottish Premiership. It isn't the hardest in the world but it's a league where everyone expects you to win and that was something new for me to deal with because Willem II and Groningen were never teams people expected to win."
And van Dijk also believes that his time in Glasgow helped forge him into a champion long before he lifted last season's Champions League trophy.
The Liverpool defender earned two Premiership titles and a League Cup during his time in green and white.
He added: "Winning championships was something I hadn't experienced before at a young age and it (moving to Celtic) made me a winner. It was very important for my development to go there."
