Wednesday 7 October 2015 09:47, UK
Virgil van Dijk says he has already learned more in a month at Southampton than he did in two years with Celtic.
The Dutch defender completed an £11.5m move from Parkhead to St Mary's before the transfer window closed after being tracked for much of the summer by Saints boss Ronald Koeman.
Van Dijk has already made a decent impact, scoring his first goal for the club against Swansea and playing a part in three wins in his opening four appearances.
The 24-year-old was a standout for Celtic following his move there from Groningen in the summer of 2013 and was regarded as one of the best players in Scotland while he was there.
Now, however, he feels the increase in quality in the Premier League is helping his game as he prepares to make his first appearance for Holland in the European Qualifiers this week.
Van Dijk is expected to feature as Danny Blind's men go into must-win matches against Kazakhstan and the Czech Republic.
He said: "At Southampton I am learning so much in every game I play, much more than I did in two years at Celtic.
"I feel I have started quite well. I've played five games and it has been tough. The standard is much quicker than in Scotland.
"The ball is like a pinball machine. You have to concentrate. It took me some time to get used to it but I'm doing all right now."
