Virgil van Dijk's rise hailed by Jaap Stam after 'nobody believed in him'

Virgil van Dijk has been hailed by compatriot Jaap Stam for how he has continued to step up despite "nobody believing in him" at first.

The Dutchman, now recognised as the best defender in the world, was overlooked by the Eredivisie elite before moving to Scotland.

After achieving success with Celtic he moved to Southampton before joining Liverpool in 2018 for a then eyebrow-raising £75m.

His move to Anfield has proved to be a catalyst for the Reds' swift rise to the top of European football.

And Stam, who was a Champions League winner himself, believes Van Dijk has now become a "big leader" on Merseyside.

Virgil van Dijk has been crucial to Liverpool's recent success (Getty Images)

“It’s very good to see another Dutch defender going to that height and developing himself a certain way because with Virgil as well in the beginning of his career, even when he played in Holland for Groningen, nobody believed in him or looked at him as a top defender,” Stam told ESPN FC .

“The big teams in Holland didn’t want to buy him and then he made the choice to go to Scotland to play for Celtic.

“His development over there was great playing in a different league, a very tough league, good players, becoming a better player for himself for the team.

“It also helps as well the players that you’ve got around you, they need to help you out at certain times as well to become a better player so you can learn and you can express yourself a lot more.

The Dutchman impressed while at Celtic (PA)

“Then he made the step to the Premier League to Southampton, again, tough league, better league than the Scottish league, better players around him, also against him, and of course it is great development and tells you something about him, how he is as a person, as a player.

“It needs to be in yourself as a player that you want to develop yourself, you need to learn from situations that you’re in, and he’s done that.

“And now at Liverpool again, big step, big club, a lot of quality players, he’s a big leader in that team but, of course, the other players around him help him out as well.

“It’s a very good combination and it’s good to see that he’s also performing in the national team as well.”