Virgil van Dijk has hit back at Wayne Rooney after the Manchester United legend took aim at his leadership and body language during Liverpool’s recent dip in form.
Rooney had claimed Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah were failing to show proper leadership, branding their mannerisms a “big concern” as the Reds struggled to find rhythm in recent weeks. But the Liverpool captain had the perfect response after leading his side to a convincing 2-0 win at Aston Villa, a result that silenced talk of a crisis at Anfield.
“I didn’t hear him last year,” Van Dijk said with a calm smile when asked about Rooney’s comments. “It does not hurt me to be honest. Obviously he is a legend of the game and I can only speak positively about him, but that was a lazy comment. That is my personal opinion.”
The Dutchman continued, “It is easy to point fingers when things are not going our way. Everyone knows we are trying to get out of a tough spell together. Last year when everything was going well, no one said a word. It is what it is.”
Van Dijk insisted he harbours no ill feeling toward Rooney or any pundit offering criticism. “They have to do their jobs. He has an opinion and we deal with it. There are no hard feelings, and I do not take it personally at all.”
The Liverpool skipper then reflected on the growing scrutiny facing players when results dip. “It is funny, because last year no one questioned our leadership. We were winning and everyone said we were doing everything right. This year, a few bad results and suddenly we are not doing our jobs properly. That is the life we live.”
Van Dijk stressed that responsibility comes with wearing the armband. “I know that when the performances are not great, I will always be questioned, as will the manager. That is part of the game. I want to perform for the team and for the club, not for myself. When things are tough, I try to help my team-mates through it.”
The defender also addressed reports suggesting new boss Arne Slot could be under pressure. “I have seen those stories, but this club does not make rash decisions. We believe we can work through this together. It is not guaranteed, but as long as we stay humble and keep believing, we will come out stronger.”
With that, Van Dijk signed off with quiet defiance. “Internally there is no doubt we can do this together,” he said. “We believe, and that is what matters.”