Gus Poyet has revealed how Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk could've been a Brighton player.

The former Seagulls boss spotted Van Dijk as a youngster turning out for FC Groningen.

He recalled to Goal: "He would have cost us €3m, but we could not afford it, we had just moved to the new stadium, which meant we had a lot of costs, it was not possible, but we were very close to his arrival.

"But when he went to Southampton and later Liverpool, that was a bit of a shock.

"However, he always had enough potential: the day after we had been in Groningen, my assistant Mauricio Taricco and I both felt that it would be great if we could contract him for Brighton.

"Dutch players are usually good with the ball, but he is an athlete, he is strong, strong in the air and tall, he has everything."