Van Dijk ‘took care’ of red-carded teen Nallo
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has been praised for his support of 18-year-old defender Amara Nallo after the teenager received his second red card in as many senior appearances for the club.
Nallo, who joined Liverpool from West Ham United’s academy two years ago, was dismissed during Wednesday’s 2–0 Carabao Cup defeat to Crystal Palace at Anfield. The defender, introduced as a 67th-minute substitute, was shown a straight red in the 79th minute for a last-man foul on Palace midfielder Justin Devenny.
The sending-off came just months after Nallo’s senior debut in January, when he was sent off four minutes after coming off the bench in a Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven. In total, the youngster has accumulated two red cards in only 16 minutes of professional football.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot said Van Dijk immediately went to console the distraught teenager following the match.
“I didn’t need to say much,” Slot told reporters. “Virgil went straight in to speak with him. That tells me a lot about the group. When a young player experiences a moment like that, they were there for him. They took care of him.”
Van Dijk, one of several senior players rested for the fixture, is understood to have offered words of encouragement and perspective to Nallo, who remains highly regarded within Liverpool’s development setup for his composure and defensive awareness.
Slot’s decision to field a youthful side in the competition drew criticism from pundit Jamie Redknapp, who described the approach as “a mistake.” Slot, however, defended the selection, saying his priority was to avoid injuries to key players such as Van Dijk and forward Alexander Isak.
Nallo’s difficult introduction to senior football underscores the challenges facing Liverpool’s younger prospects as the club balances development opportunities with first-team demands. Despite his setbacks, the defender is expected to remain part of Slot’s long-term plans as he continues his adaptation to top-level competition.