VIRGIL VAN DIJK has been praised for his touching gesture to young defender Amara Nallo.
Twelve minutes after his introduction, Nallo was sent off as his team fell to a 3-0 fourth-round defeat to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup.
It was the second time the 18-year-old had been red-carded in his two professional appearances for the Merseyside club.
On his Champions League debut against Dutch side PSV Eindhoven in January, Nallo lasted just four minutes before getting his marching orders.
With Nallo visibly distraught, eagle-eyed BBC pundit Stephen Warnock spotted Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk accompanying his young protege down the tunnel.
The ex-Liverpool star said on Radio 5Live: “What a horrible feeling for the youngster, Amara Nallo.
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“There is nothing worse than knowing you have been sent off on your debut. Then there is the next game, you make an error and it leads to another sending off.
“I have just seen Virgil van Dijk walk down the tunnel. You have to try to pick the youngster up.”
Subbed on during the 67th minute with Liverpool already 2-0 down, Nallo was deemed to have committed a professional last-man foul in the 79th minute on Justin Devenny after his loose pass was picked off by Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Nallo moved to Anfield in August 2023 after coming through the West Ham academy.
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The young central defender now holds the unenviable record of playing just 16 senior minutes for Liverpool and already having two red cards to his name.
Manager Arne Slot added: “Ibou [Konate] and Virgil [van Dijk] immediately went inside to talk to him.
“That tells me that they are great human beings in a moment like this when a young player for the second time is being sent off … that they feel how difficult that moment for him is, to go inside and be supportive for him.”
Slot has come under fire for fielding an inexperienced lineup, setting the unwanted record of becoming the first Liverpool team since 1934 to lose a domestic cup match at Anfield by conceding three goals without scoring.
Having lost five of their last six competitive matches, Liverpool host Aston Villa on Saturday aiming to turn things around.
