Stefan Johansen has revealed that during his time at Celtic it was clear that former team-mate Virgil van Djik would go on to be "one of the best in the world".

The Norweigan claimed that the central defender's talent was clear to see and that the rest of the Hoops squad at the time were aware of the Dutchman's quality.

Both men played together for 18 months and despite the small sample size, the 33-year-old knew the Liverpool centre-back had a high ceiling.

He told the Celtic View Podcast: "Yeah, I think everyone could see it. As a player he was unbelievable and he's progressed since then, but he was a top player already then and it was only a matter of time before he would become one of the best in the world. 

"He's worked hard for it, but the talent, I think everyone can agree they saw that early on with him."

READ MORE: Kevin McKenna: Don't forget why Celtic are Scotland's biggest & best

Johansen also opened up on the moment he realised the size of the club after signing.

He joined the Scottish champions in January 2014 and explained how the reaction to his transfer highlighted just how big the move was.

"I knew Celtic was a big club but then I flew to Glasgow and I realised how big a club it was because I didn't expect all the cameras, private entrance for the medical and stuff like that," he continued.

"It was a bit shocking but it was brilliant. It was a big shock to be honest, obviously the Champions League games and stuff, so you kind of knew it but is a completely different experience when you're there in person.

"It was a brilliant time; the fans, the city, the players, everyone was so welcoming so it was quite easy to get into the group and I felt at home quite quickly."

Glasgow Times:

Our Celtic Digest newsletter brings exclusive content directly to you rather than solely through the website. You can already find us on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok and Instagram but we will also send bespoke opinion pieces and special features directly to your email inbox every evening. Not only will you receive this article from Sean Martin, Tony Haggerty or Aidan Macdonald (or, sometimes, from all three) but you will also get easy access to our best content from the last 24 hours too. It’s a great way to keep up to date with what’s happening at Ange Postecoglou’s Scottish champions. To sign up, simply take five seconds to type in your email here. Simple!