Virgil van Dijk believed he had sampled the worst refereeing decision of his career the night he landed an early red card against Inter Milan. Events at Hampden on Sunday forced him to revise his opinion. In the aftermath of a contentious Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Inverness Caledonian Thistle, the Dutchman found sleep elusive. The claims of referee Steven McLean and his five assistants that they failed to see the handball by Inverness player Josh Meekings which denied Celtic a penalty, a red card, possibly even a crack at the Treble, struck many at Parkhead as dubious. So dubious they fired off a letter seeking clarification from the SFA. Celtic centre back Virgil van Dijk leaves field following his side's 3-2 to Inverness in the Scottish Cup semi-final . For van Dijk, the collective burst of myopia was remarkable. A greater lapse on a wider scale than the red card he received from Slovakian official Ivan Kruzliak in the last 32 of the Champions League in February; a decision he described at the time as the worst he had experienced. Resting his arms on a table in a Glasgow hotel after being shortlisted for the PFA Scotland player of the year award, the Dutchman said of the Meekings flashpoint: 'Yeah I saw it. I think everybody in the stadium saw everything. It' s very strange that the right decision wasn't made. 'I was maybe near the halfway line. Even in the stands you could see it. It was a miracle that we didn't get the right decision. Van Dijk netted a superb free-kick against Caley Thistle but it wasn't enough to secure victory . 'This decision was terrible. I don't know – I've experienced some decisions lately. The Inter Milan game, of course, was terrible for my feelings. 'The decision on Sunday wasn't right and everyone can see it. It's terrible when you think about it . 'It was harder on my feelings (than Milan). I put the ref in a position in Milan to give me a red card (following his challenges on Rodrigo Palacio and Mauro Icardi) and that's what I have to learn from. 'Sunday's was a clear decision and it wasn't made - and that's a worse feeling.' Wednesday's 2-1 Premiership win over Dundee helped. It carried Celtic another step closer to the title and was recuperative. The presence of two Parkhead players – van Dijk and Stefan Johansen – on the PFA Scotland shortlist suggests the season may yet redeem itself. Josh Meekings handled Leigh Griffiths goal-bound header but none of the officials saw it . Van Dijk is clear that punishing the Inverness player would have been futile and pointless. The blame for what happened lies, he believes, with the officials who created the mess and then closed ranks to insist they simply hadn't seen it. Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton has called on the officials to be held to account. But when SFA the freeze out their officials, it's done behind closed doors, quietly and without ceremony. 'I don't know,' said van Dijk, 'I don't think I can give my opinion on that. I want to move forward as well. We're not in the final. I want to win the league as soon as possible so we need to win on Sunday and move forward. My feeling is you shouldn't be punished for someone else's mistake.' Ronny Deila described the circumstances of the defeat to Inverness as the worst of his career. The Celtic manager returned home to stare at the walls while, for van Dijk, counting sheep proved an inadequate antidote to insomnia. 'Everybody was very down, especially after the game. For myself personally I was devastated, especially during the night, I couldn't sleep that well. 'That was the biggest chance to get the Treble and everyone at Celtic, and I think around Celtic as well, had the feeling that it was going to happen. 'If the right decision had been made in the game on Sunday we would have been in the final and we would hopefully have won the final. 'The Treble was very close. But it's not going to be turned around any more.' There are five games left now to change perceptions of the season. Celtic expect to win the league. With five games left and an eight-point lead over Aberdeen, they are almost there. Thereafter what transpires between Falkirk and Inverness in the Hampden final on May 30 is a source of utter indifference for the likes of van Dijk. 'I go on holiday so I don't think i will see it,' he said. 'After this season I don't want to watch any football. I've been the whole year watching and playing football and I have to be mentally rested for next season. I don't think I will watch it.' From the comfort of a Dubai lounger, he may give a little more time to his own future. Nominated for a second successive season by PFA Scotland, there are times when the Scottish game looks a little too easy for the 23-year-old defender. For the sake of his own development, there is the expectation he will leave Celtic this summer. Ronny Deila was angry at the referee's decision to now send off Meekings and award his side a penalty . Parrying questions on the matter, he insisted: 'My thoughts are that I want to win the league as soon as possible. 'We'll see what happens in the summer but for now I'm a Celtic player and we'll see if that is or isn't the case after the summer. 'It's an amazing club and you don't want to leave a club like this for one that is not as big. 'You need to know what you want – you don't need to lie. You have to be straight. I will be straight with everyone. 'I'm focusing on the present. You never know what will happen but for now I'm enjoying being a Celtic player.' His dilemma is clear. Celtic are a large club in a small league. Asked if a smaller club in a large league like England would be worth leaving for, he said: 'It depends on the club. If Celtic was playing in the Premier league then they would be one of the best clubs in the world and to stay here would be much more interesting than anything else. 'It is what it is right now. I just want to win the league as soon as possible and hopefully get a nice game maybe before we have to go to Aberdeen. Or maybe Aberdeen away will be a nice place to win the championship…'
Celtic crashed lost to 3-2 to Inverness in the Scottish Cup semi-final .
The referee failed to spot a handball from Inverness player Josh Meekings .
The decision denied Celtic a penalty during a crucial point of the game .
Van Dijk was sent off against Inter Milan in the last 32 of the Champions League in February .