Former England and Manchester United star Wayne Rooney has been involved in a war of words with Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk
Former Manchester United and Everton star Wayne Rooney has stood by his recent remarks about Virgil van Dijk after the Liverpool skipper’s fiery rebuttal over the weekend. The ex-United and England captain had slammed Van Dijk’s body language last week following the Premier League loss to Brentford.
Liverpool have endured a torrid campaign for large portions, with Saturday’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa halting a sequence of four consecutive league losses for the defending English top-flight champions. Arne Slot’s squad had suffered six defeats in their previous seven fixtures across all competitions prior to that victory against Unai Emery’s side.
Rooney argued that Van Dijk has been short on leadership qualities this season. In reply, the Dutch defender said, following Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Aston Villa, that he considered the critical comments to be “lazy”.
“Well, I didn’t hear him last year,” Van Dijk said, when asked about Rooney’s words. “It doesn’t hurt me, to be honest, I feel like, just to come back to this particular player, and this obviously a legend, big player of the game – I can say all the only positive things but I feel like that comment, I would say it’s a bit of a lazy criticism.
“That’s my personal opinion. It’s easy to blame the other players, but he knows as well as everyone else we do it together, trying to help each and every one of us to try to get out of this.”
“Like I said, last year when things go well you don’t hear that at all. It is what it is.
“You have to do that job as well, so it is what it is. It’s part and parcel when everyone has an opinion and we have to deal with it.
“And there are no hard feelings, by the way. I don’t take it personal whatsoever, but I feel like that.”
Rooney has since hit back at Van Dijk’s remarks, maintaining he holds the Liverpool captain in the highest regard, while suggesting the Dutchman hasn’t quite reached his usual lofty standards this campaign.
“Van Dijk, similar to Mo Salah, over the last five years, he’s been one of if not the best defender in the world, and last year it was hard to say anything bad because he was that good,” he explained on his BBC podcast.
“I’m sure he’d come out and say he probably hasn’t been as best this season if he’s honest with himself, and as captain, your job if things aren’t going right is to speak to your teammates, call meetings with your teammates. And that’s really what I was saying as a captain, as a leader, I’m sure he will have been doing that.
“I’ve got full respect for Virgil van Dijk, I think he’s a fantastic player. My job now as a pundit is to give my opinions on what I feel.
“I’m sure if you ask him or you ask Arne Slot, he probably hasn’t been as good as he has been over the last few years and that was my comment.”
Liverpool get back to business on Tuesday night with a mouth-watering Champions League clash against Real Madrid at Anfield. The Reds then make the trip to second-placed Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday.