Scotland star Lyndon Dykes' sweet gesture for young fan in tears in the stands

Scotland star Lyndon Dykes has given a Tartan Army daft youngster a moment he will never forget after watching the national team's brutal loss at the Stuttgart Arena on Sunday.

Dykes, 28, consoled Caelan Arthur following the heartbreaking late defeat to Hungary.

The Queens Park Rangers striker, who missed playing in the tournament due to injury, gave the nine-year-old, from Stirling, a rousing pep talk as tears flowed in the wake of the national side crashing out of Euro 2024.

Caelan's dad Iain described the heartfelt moment in the stadium concourse as a "special memory" for his son.

The 55-year-old pub owner said: "That final seconds goal for Hungary hit him like a hammer blow. His emotions all came out at once and he was pretty inconsolable.

"I have no idea how but Lyndon must have spotted him and appeared from behind with security in tow and made a beeline for the wee man. He gave him a hug and a nice positive pep talk. Telling him that it was really tough but we get on with it stay positive and to never give up.

"I thanked Lyndon for his gesture and for making the rest of my night a lot easier. It was just such a class thing to do and going out of his way to do it."

Dykes was ruled out with an ankle issue days before the tournament got underway. However, the Australian-born forward travelled with the squad to lend his support to Steve Clarke's men.

Iain and Caelen, who attends Bridge of Allan Primary School, had spent the hours leading up to kick-off among the Tartan Army faithful in the fan zone to soak up the pre-match atmosphere.

They were joined by a large section of the Hungarian fanbase who had also come to support their side.

Iain praised the opposition fans for taking the time to comfort Caelen, who plays for Riverside FC 2015's, after Hungary's late winner.

He said: "He was fixated with the match and the fans. Hungarian fans also helped to try and lift him, which was a really nice gesture."

It was the youngster's first trip abroad to see Scotland play - but also his first time seeing the team lose a game.

Iain said: "Calean watched the first two games intently at home, very excitedly. I was running the pub which was showing them all live but we fortunately escaped to Germany for the final group stage game.

"It was his first overseas Scotland match. First Scotland defeat he’s seen as well - the luxury of youth. We have been to about four games before - all wins or draws.

"For his age, he has seen Scotland qualify for the Euros twice so he has set high standards for them. But thanks to the talk from Dykes he is ready for whatever comes next for the team.

"All in all this trip was a fantastic fan experience for both of us. It was a great friendly atmosphere with the Tartan Army and a good mix of young and old all together. A really special time and we made memories for life. I think that’s already been reflected by the hosts' kind comments about the fans."

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