Virgil van Dijk has spoken out about the transfer frenzy that surrounded him last month.
Celtic’s Champions League exit to Maribor prompted speculation that he would be heading for England with the defender missing Celtic’s match at Dundee on the eve of the transfer window.
Impending fatherhood was one of the reasons given for his absence at Dens Park with the Dutchman insisting that he has no problems over staying on at Celtic.
“It’s a compliment for me that the club wanted me to stay but I didn’t say literally I want to leave, never,” van Dijk explained.
“If there was a chance to go and play Champions League somewhere else at that moment and it was a step forward then I might have considered it but I never said, ‘I want to leave now’. I am focused on Celtic and I am happy here.
“I never had any problem with the gaffer, he’s a good guy. I’m happy at Celtic and always will be. This is the club that gave me a chance and I’ve never had problems with anyone here.
“When everyone was saying I wanted to leave and were saying negative things about me it was disappointing.”
Van Dijk will continue his partnership with Jason Denayer tomorrow against Motherwell with John Guidetti available again after missing the match with Salzburg due to an honest mistake by Sandy Bryson of the SFA.
Stefan Johansen is the latest injury worry for Ronny Deila to contend with alongside the absence of Charlie Mulgrew, James Forrest, Mikael Lustig and Adam Matthews.