Former Celtic defender Virgil van Dijk has been at the centre of football attention today.
Not for scoring the last minute equaliser that provided Holland with a 2-2 draw away to Germany and into the finals of the UEFA Nations League.
After failing to qualify for the last two major tournaments Dutch football has been in something of a crisis but drawn in a group that included France and Germany they have emerged from the darkness.
Well played Virgil van Dijk.
Match-winner ?
Great guy ?The Liverpool and Netherlands defender showed his human side on Monday night.https://t.co/fAr811Fl4K pic.twitter.com/YUC4sm4fSp
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) November 20, 2018
Virgil van Dijk consoles distraught referee in tears at final whistle of Holland clash against Germany https://t.co/g7K4raAXCu pic.twitter.com/s7bd4N3tzQ
— The Sun (@TheSun) November 20, 2018
Virgil van Dijk reveals heartbreaking reason why he consoled referee at full-time https://t.co/Oaco7pc372 pic.twitter.com/NH38dN4inm
— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) November 20, 2018
That achievement has been put in the shadow however by a gesture from van Dijk.
Shortly before the match kicked off it news emerged that the mother of Romanian referee Ovidiu Hategan.
Rather than share the adulation of his team-mates and the Dutch supporters van Dijk made towards Hategan to share his sympathies.
Holland now join Portugal, England and Switzerland in the semi-final draw for the Nations League.
