Neil Lennon is the manager who launched Virgil van Dijk's career in British football and he's struggled to ever find fault with the central defender, but this weekend he might well meet his match.
Lennon has had a significant impact on the Liverpool centre-back after signing him for Celtic from Groningen in 2013, but the Northern Irishman has had a close view of Erling Haaland as well.
He was managing Hibs in the Europa League when they were paired with Molde in a qualifying round in August 2018, losing the second leg 3-0 thanks to two goals from a certain Norwegian striker.
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"I managed Hibs when we played Molde in the Europa League when Ole was manager. Haaland played in the second game, he was only 18 and you thought “Wow”," said Lennon.
"Even then, me and Garry (Parker, Hibs' assistant manager), Garry could see a player and said he was unbelievable. The deal was already done for him to go to Salzburg a few months later. I kept following him."
That makes Lennon pretty well placed to assess Sunday's heavyweight tussle between Haaland and Van Dijk at Anfield. This remains the Premier League's biggest game of the season, even if Liverpool's early struggles have taken some of the heat out of it when it comes to the title race, with Manchester City 13 points ahead of them.
Lennon was back on British soil this week, taking charge of his Omonia Nicosia side at Old Trafford in the Europa League on Thursday night. On returning to Cyprus he will be tuning in to the Premier League's weekend headliner.
"This will be a clash of the Titans I think. I don’t know who will come out on top. But I think Virgil will really look forward to it," he said.
"He will want to prove that he is still the top dog. Knowing Virge, he has that cold confidence about him, but then again so does Haaland. It’s going to be fascinating.
"He [Van Dijk] can go through the gears when he really wants to. He has been a bit off for his levels this season from what I’ve seen but when he really wants to turn on the burners and be a proper defender.
"He is a physical specimen and so is Haaland so it’s going to be really fascinating to watch. Virgil will fancy it I think, he will go ‘right, come on, let’s see what you got’.
"It is a fascinating duel because this kid (Haaland) is unbelievable as well. He is ripping up the rule book. Man City are in great form, Liverpool won’t want to lose to them. What a game to look forward to. It is mouthwatering."
Haaland will seek to score in an 11th consecutive appearance for City in all competitions today and he has already got 20 goals in 13 games in all competitions and 15 in nine Premier League matches.
"He’s got everything, he’s athletic, he’s brave, he’s good with both feet, he’s quick, he’s always in the right place, a great finisher with both feet and in the air. He’s everything you want from a centre forward," said Lennon.
"It’s great business from Man City. Pople always say can he do it in England? When you have the talent he is, you know it, it’s like Virg, you know he can do it on the big stage.
"What a start he’s made, it’s probably surprised everyone, even I didn’t think he’d be as good as what he is, but he’s awesome."
Van Dijk was a transformative defensive signing for Liverpool, adding the steel that helped take them to the Champions League and Premier League titles.
City are hoping Haaland might provide a similar uplift at the other end of the pitch and Lennon believes the Blues may well have found the final piece of the jigsaw.
"He could be the missing link, yeah. A big centre-forward who can score goals out of nothing, they make the difference," he said.
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