Back-and-forth between Wayne Rooney and Virgil van Dijk continues, with the former Manchester United forward eyeing the Liverpool captaincy again after recent defeats
Wayne Rooney has delivered the latest blow in his spat with Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, advising him not to pay attention to “outside noise”. Rooney told the Reds star to focus on his game after the former Manchester United star’s latest volley.
Van Dijk was criticized by Rooney last month, calling into question his commitment since signing a new contract. The pair then discussed the situation face-to-face and had an awkward exchange when Amazon Prime reported on the Reds’ victory over Real Madrid last Tuesday.
Former England and United striker Rooney later said on an episode of The Wayne Rooney Show that his comments were “a bit unfair”. However, Rooney once again criticized Van Dijk’s performance after Arne Slott’s side lost 3-0 to Manchester City, their fifth defeat in six Premier League games.
The former Derby and DC United manager admitted he was wrong to question Van Dijk’s commitment, but suggested the Dutch defender needed to avoid mixing in with the noise outside Liverpool’s dressing room. Rooney believes Van Dijk risks having a negative impact on his inexperienced team-mates.
Speaking about Van Dijk on the Overlap Fan Debate podcast, Rooney said: “My job now is to give my opinion. I think I try to give my opinion openly and honestly about what I feel and what I see.”
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“I said on the podcast the other day that I was a little too bullish when I said he might be running out of tools since he signed his new contract, which is a big statement, so maybe I was wrong.
“But Van Dijk, if you look at the level of performance, from what we’ve seen, I don’t think he’s at the level he’s been this season.
“I said I’m sure as a captain he would talk to the players and take the team out to dinner. He said he did that. Obviously, if he feels like he had to do that, that means something is wrong.”
“As champions, you can’t lose four games in a row. If you lose one game, there are questions, and if you lose four games in a row, something is wrong.
“I think we get too caught up in the external noise. That’s our job. I want you to focus on your own game, because as a young player you watch Van Dijk and see how he reacts to this. How will that help them? I think I just have to work on my game and talk internally.”
The defeat against City left Liverpool in 8th place in the table after suffering four consecutive defeats in all competitions in September and October, eight points behind leaders Arsenal entering the international break.
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