'Virgil Van Dijk is now regarded as the best centre-half in the world... but the person I see perform at the highest level every single day is Scott Brown': Callum McGregor hails Celtic captain as best player he's played with ahead of Liverpool star and e

Callum McGregor believes a decade's worth of consistency from Scott Brown deserves to be ranked above Virgil Van Dijk's stunning breakthrough stint at Celtic.

The Dutchman has blossomed into the world's best defender since joining Liverpool.

It did not take McGregor long to realise Van Dijk was destined for the top after Neil Lennon landed the then 21-year-old for a bargain £2.6million from Groningen back in 2013.

Van Dijk strolled through his two-year spell in Scotland before departing for Southampton with two Premiership titles and a League Cup winners' medal.

But even those classy displays are not enough to top the contribution of skipper Brown in McGregor's eyes.