Ex-Premier League manager reveals how he made £75m Liverpool transfer mistake in 2014

Neil Warnock has claimed he could have signed one of Liverpool’s greatest figures in recent history for as little as £3m.

Over the years Warnock has been an iconic figure in British football, taking on 20 managerial roles across a 44-year career. He recently finished an interim role at Aberdeen and at 75, it looks like he’s finished his career. One of those roles came at Crystal Palace in 2014 - and he was considering a move for Virgil van Dijk during his early days at Celtic. Speaking to William Hill, he recounted how a move failed to transpire because there were questions over his pace.

“Van Dijk was at Celtic and I nearly signed him to Crystal Palace for £3 million,” recounted Warnock. “I said to Steve Parish, who’s still at Palace now, and the stats man that I want to sign Van Dijk for three million pounds. Parish, as with many of the other chairmen, rely on the stats man and he was saying that he didn’t think he was quick enough for the Premier League.

 “I told them why he doesn’t look quick, he reads the game that well that he doesn’t have to break a sweat! I told them that if he was pushed in the Premier League, he’d sprint. We didn’t end up signing him and Southampton picked him up for four or five million and ended up getting 70 odd million for him when Liverpool signed him. I remember when we played Liverpool next, Van Dijk came up to me and said, ‘you nearly signed me!’ – he knew all about it. I said to him, ‘they told me you weren’t quick, you’re not really quick, are you?’ – and then I ran away from him!”

Van Dijk later secured a move to Southampton in 2015 which saw him become a key figure at St Mary’s before earning a £75m move in January 2018 to Liverpool. He went on to win every trophy available and netted the winner in the club’s latest triumph in the EFL Cup in February and he remains a key figure six years after joining.