Virgil van Dijk pushes for Celtic 'tone setter' at Liverpool as skipper enforces Parkhead rules

Former Celtic standout Virgil van Dijk has revealed he returned to his Parkhead roots in a bid to bring a jolt to Liverpool after being installed as captain.

The 32-year-old was rewarded the armband for keeps by Jurgen Klopp after previous skipper Jordan Henderson exited Anfield for the lure of Saudi millions and linking up with Steven Gerrard in the Middle East. And he admits introducing the pre-match huddle this season was inspired by the tradition he experienced in Glasgow's east end when Scott Brown was addressing his team-mates.

Celtic players have been gathering for a final pre-match motivation for almost 30 years and one of the finest defenders of his generation admits the move left a telling impact on him during his two years at the club between 2013 and 2015 before he joined Southampton. And now Celtic rules are in effect at Liverpool to bring an added oomph seconds before kick-off.

The Netherlands centre-back said: "It was something that we did when I was a Celtic player and I always liked it because I thought it set the tone for the game and it also gave the crowd a signal that we were ready to go.

"It can also help the atmosphere with it being so close to the match starting, so if our fans want to join in by building up the noise and adding to the sense of anticipation I certainly won’t complain, even if it makes it difficult for me to make myself heard.”