Virgil van Dijk has hit back at Wayne Rooney, branding the former Manchester United striker's criticism of him and Mohamed Salah as 'lazy'. Speaking about comments made on Rooney's BBC podcast, the Liverpool captain defended his leadership during the club's recent poor run, which saw them lose six times in seven games from late September to late October.
Van Dijk acknowledged that external noise can affect some teammates, describing some takes as 'absolutely ridiculous'. He stressed the importance of sticking together and focusing on what they can control, particularly after Liverpool ended their losing streak with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa, in which Salah scored his 250th goal for the club.
The 34-year-old also highlighted the inconsistency in criticism, noting that last season, when results were good, there was no such talk about leadership. He added that he is 'mature enough' to handle the scrutiny but emphasised that leadership is a collective effort, not solely the responsibility of older players.
