By Adegboyega Adeleye
Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk has thrown his support behind teammate Cody Gakpo following the death of the striker’s unborn son, insisting that “football is secondary” as the Dutch prepare for their World Cup last-16 clash against Morocco.
Gakpo and his partner, Noa van der Bij, announced the heartbreaking loss of their unborn child on Saturday. The Liverpool forward has since been given time away from the squad to spend with his family, who are staying near the Netherlands’ team base in Kansas City during the World Cup.
Speaking ahead of Monday’s knockout tie, captain Van Dijk said the Dutch squad had rallied around Gakpo during the difficult period.
“The most important thing is to ask: ‘What do you need?’ It’s awful news and it shows that football is secondary. There are more important things in life. It’s very sad but Cody deals with it.
