Erik ten Hag is not the first Dutch manager to turn to Wout Weghorst as an unfashionable Plan B recently. If Lionel Messi finally winning the World Cup, at the fifth attempt and in such extraordinary circumstances, ranked as one of the great footballing stories, it was almost ended by a rather less celebrated figure.
Weghorst had already been booked before Louis van Gaal brought him on as Netherlands trailed 2-0 to Argentina in the quarter-final. The 6ft 6in striker made a mark five minutes later, heading in Steven Berghuis’ cross. His 101st-minute equaliser, courtesy of a brilliantly worked free-kick by Teun Koopmeiners, was an indication that this particular big man has rather good feet. When Weghorst converted his penalty in the eventual shootout, it completed a hat-trick of sorts.
