Van Dijk consoles grieving referee

Dutch hero Virgil van Dijk took time to console a grief-stricken referee just moments after his dramatic equaliser sent Holland to next summer’s UEFA Nations League finals.

The Liverpool defender scored late in Holland’s 2-2 draw with Germany on Monday to secure their progress, and had some words of comfort for Romanian official Ovidiu Hategan.

The 38-year-old referee has recently lost his mother.

“That man broke down, stood with tears in his eyes because he had just lost his mother,” Van Dijk said.

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“I wished him strength and said he had refereed well. It’s a small thing, but I hope it helped him.”

Holland join Switzerland, England and hosts Portugal in the inaugural four-team finals next June.

All four nations are also assured of a Euro 2020 qualification play-off, in case they fail to qualify automatically.

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Ronald Koeman’s Holland required a point against old rivals Germany but found themselves 2-0 down due to early goals from Timo Werner and Leroy Sane.

Quincy Promes gave Holland a sniff with an 85th minute goal, before Van Dijk was pushed up front in desperate search of a goal to send them through.

The switch paid dividends when Van Dijk found the corner with a neat side-foot volley.

“I got a note from Dwight Lodeweges and Kees van Wonderen,” Koeman said.

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“When we were 2-0 down they (my assistants) asked me if we should change things around and I said ‘yes’.”

“Next thing I knew I had the note. So I gave it to Kenny (Tete, full-back). And in the end it’s fantastic that the equaliser came from the guy who was told on the note to push up front.”

Holland failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in humiliating fashion, but have rallied under Koeman and a core of promising Ajax youngsters such as Frankie De Jong, Matthijs de Ligt and Donny van de Beek.