Can send shockwaves around world
van Dijk and Germany’s Mats Hummels.
Whyte said: “No one expected Northern Ireland to qualify for Euro 2016 at the start of that and we won’t be expected to qualify this time either but you never know.
“Stranger things have happened in football and we will certainly give it our best shot.
“It’s some draw for Northern Ireland. Obviously the Republic got a kinder draw and I would have fancied us to qualify with that one, but we can look forward to our group because there are some matches to savour especially against Germany and Holland in Belfast. Those games will be unbelievable.
“Van Dijk is a great defender for Holland and one of the best in the world and Germany have incredible defenders too so to be up against people like that would be amazing for me given where I have come from in a short space of time.
“I need to keep doing what I am doing at club level and in training with Northern Ireland and hopefully I’ll get picked for games in the Euro 2020 qualifying campaign and if I was selected it would be amazing to play against teams like Germany and Holland.
“It will be very hard for us. International football is a different level and this draw is tough but we have a good squad and are capable of getting big results so we will enter the campaign in positive mood.”