Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has challenged Wayne Rooney in an awkward post-match interview following the team’s win over Real Madrid over the pundits’ criticism of his leadership when the team lost.
Alexis Mac Allister’s second-half header sealed a morale-boosting 1-0 win in the Champions League at Anfield, securing back-to-back wins and a clean sheet after Liverpool beat Aston Villa on Saturday to end a four-game losing streak in the Premier League.
When Liverpool hit rock bottom after the heavy defeat at Brentford, Rooney said Van Dijk’s body language was a “concern” and questioned whether there were problems with the captain’s leadership after signing a new contract at the end of last season.
Van Dijk said after the win over Villa that the former England striker’s criticism was “lazy”, but Rooney doubled down on his comments, with the head-to-head between the two sides set to be broadcast live on television just days later.
Virgil van Dijk says some criticism of Liverpool has gone ‘too far’
Van Dijk, who is standing right next to Rooney, told Prime in a post-match interview at Anfield that the outside noise was sometimes “too much”, without directly addressing the Manchester United legend’s comments.
He added: “It would be good if former players who played at the highest level and dealt with difficult moments put things into perspective.”
Rooney appeared surprised by the defender’s comments, but responded: “I think what I said was fair.”
He added: “Virgil and the team’s response (to their struggles) was amazing.”
However, Van Dijk disagreed and said: “If you watch the game, I will definitely take responsibility.
“I think there was a little bit of a comment about him signing a new contract and then being done with it and leaving (things) alone…but that’s just my personal opinion.”
Full text of Van Dijk and Rooney exchange
After Liverpool’s defeat to Manchester United in the Premier League, manager Van Dijk reflected on the victory over Real Madrid and was asked about the importance of the players’ only meeting, leading to questions about criticism of the team.
“It’s easy to say now that (the talks) helped because we won twice. In a chaotic world, you have to try to remain calm,” Van Dijk said.
“At the time of that meeting, we were in October and there was still a lot of football going on and there could be a lot of twists and turns. There was a lot of noise at times.”
Asked if his comments were about anyone in particular on the committee, Van Dijk added: “No. It’s very important to keep things in perspective and keep our heads down.”
Asked if outside noise was a factor, Van Dijk added: “It doesn’t affect me personally, but as captain I deal with the players who may be affected by noise.”
“Of course (some of the criticism was justified), but as a Liverpool player, if you lose four or five games in a row, that’s fair. In that sense it’s normal.”
“Sometimes it goes too far, but that’s because we live in a world where there are so many platforms, so many people are speaking out, it’s going to be picked up, and it’s going to be bigger than it is.
“I think it’s good for former players who played at the highest level and dealt with difficult moments to put things into perspective.”
Rooney responded: “I won’t say anything else because I think I inspired them! We led them to a winning streak! I think what I said was fair.”
“When you win the Premier League, you lose three or four games in a row, which has been unexpected for Liverpool in recent years.
“And Virgil, as a captain, it’s your chance to lead your players. That happens in football and I think the reaction from Virgil and the team was great.”
Van Dijk: “I think if you watch the game, I will definitely take responsibility. The comment that I signed a new contract, I thought that was the end of it and just let it go. I think there was a little bit of that… but that’s my personal opinion.”
Asked if he was motivated by such things, Van Dijk said: “No. I want to perform for the team, for the club and for everyone who supports us through thick and thin.”
“When you’re going through tough times as a team, when you’re losing games, obviously we’re lucky that it hasn’t happened a lot of times, but it hurts a lot. And I want to turn this around because I also see the effort that we put in every day. I see the quality that we have.”
