The news tends to be doom and gloom with the uncertainty of the Coronavirus pandemic but this has allowed for incredible acts of altruism to warm our hearts and offer hope.
One such act is that of Virgil Van Dijk and his Dutch teammates. As businesses toil with the lockdown, so too has sport with clubs having to furlough staff to make ends meet. The Liverpool defender has arranged for his national side to fund a €10m package to rescue the Dutch amateur leagues after Coronavirus threatened to wipe out teams.
The former Celtic star moved to Southampton in 2015 before a switch to Merseyside after two and a half years on the south coast. As reported by the Scottish Sun, Van Dijk detailed his reasons for helping to give back to communities during this uncertain time.
“We play football all over the world in the most beautiful stadiums.
“But you never forget where you started – our old amateur clubs.
“There are all wonderful memories there and amateur football needs a helping hand just now.
“We’re happy we can give something back at this difficult time, so that today’s footballers also have a bright future.”
Whilst it is Dutch news, it is good to see that footballers are doing their bit and it would be good to see those higher earners doing their bit over here just now at a time of national crisis.
Matt Hancock called on players to surrender a percentage of their wages in an attempt to counteract the COVID-19 pandemic and support the fight. However, this has drawn criticism from footballers and pundits alike.
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