In an interview covered by BBC Sport, Van Dijk said that he had a fond working relationship with Lennon, who shaped the early phase of his professional career, he told: "I enjoyed every bit of working under him. He brought me to Celtic so I'll always be grateful to him for that. He has been part of my journey so far. He was good. Obviously he was a player himself - he knows how we think, what we go through. As a manager he's very direct, he tells you straight what is right and wrong. He's a special manager and special man."

Lennon was re-appointed by the Hoops on a temporary basis after the surprise departure of Brendan Rodgers to Leicester City at the backend of the previous season. He managed to guide the Hoops to a third-straight domestic treble and the positive impact made at the club contributed to him earning a 12-month rolling contract.

Celtic appear on course for a fourth-straight domestic treble but much of the recent focus has been on the Europa League campaign. The club exceeded the expectations during the group stage as they beat the likes of Lazio, Rennes, and Rosenborg to the top spot and they are currently tackling Copenhagen at the round of 32 stage.

The Hoops picked up a 1-1 draw during the away leg of the double-legged tie and they should be favourites to reach the next round of the competition as they should beat the Danish giants with the home advantage. Celtic are currently cruising at the top of the league standings with a 10-point lead over Rangers.