Virgil van Dijk consoles referee whose mother recently died after Netherlands late draw with Germany

Van Dijk noticed Ovidiu Hategan was emotional after the final whistle in Gelsenkirchen

Virgil van Dijk consoled referee Ovidiu Hategan after securing the Netherlands’ late draw in Germany as the official’s mother had recently died.

Van Dijk appeared to comfort Hategan at full time at the Veltins Arena, moments after scoring a late volley to earn his side’s 2-2 draw and a place in the Nations League finals.

The Liverpool defender later said he had noticed that Hategan seemed emotional and, after asking what was wrong, the Romanian official revealed he had recently lost his mother.

“That man broke, stood with tears in his eyes because he had just lost his mother,” Van Dijk said, in quotes published by Voetbal International.

“I wished him strength and said that he had refereed well. It might be something small, but I hope it helped.”

Virgil van Dijk consoles grieving referee Ovidiu Hategan (Uefa)

Van Dijk levelled with a 90th-minute volley after being moved up front by the Netherlands, who required a point in Gelsenkirchen to win League A Group 1.

Germany, whose relegation to League B was confirmed at the weekend, established an early two-goal lead through strikes from Timo Werner and Leroy Sané.

The Netherlands laboured until the closing stages, which saw Quincy Promes pull a goal back before Van Dijk’s crucial late equaliser.

Ronald Koeman’s side will now join England, Portugal and Switzerland in the Nations League finals, to be held in Portugal in June.