I played with Virgil van Dijk at Celtic after ditching Gaelic football and Brendan Rodgers once called me 'outstanding'Eoghan O'Connell went onto play 13 times for Celtic and once earned some mighty praise from ex boss RodgersView 2 Images Virgil van Dijk was a superstar for the Hoops (Image: Craig Williamson/SNS Group)Former Celtic defender Eoghan O'Connell has revealed that he had to persuaded to give up Gaelic football in order to join the Hoops. ‌But the Irishman believes that having that background has enabled him to have a long and successful career in the sport. ‌And O'Connell - who now plays for EFL League One side Barnsley - says his parents played a crucial role in considering him to switch professions. Speaking to The Yorkshire Post, he said: "To be honest, I was always kind of more of a Gaelic player than a footballer. When [Van Dijk] first signed for Celtic, I remember going out on to the training ground and being blown away by the size of the guy.

Source: Express April 02, 2026 00:39 UTC