Virgil van Dijk hits back at Wayne Rooney
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Alexander-Arnold, Anfield and van Dijk
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The Liverpool captain addressed some of the critics directly as he made his point of view known to Wayne Rooney
Virgil van Dijk addressed Wayne Rooney's criticism as he spoke alongside the former Manchester United captain after Liverpool's win over Real Madrid.
VIRGIL VAN DIJK gave a blunt answer when asked about the return of Trent Alexander-Arnold following Liverpool’s Champions League victory on Tuesday. The Reds dominated Xabi Alonso’s
Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk has moved to heap praise on Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois on Tuesday night.This comes after the Belgian conjured up another stellar individual showing against
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has said Wayne Rooney blaming a lack of leadership for the Anfield side's recent poor form is "lazy criticism". The Reds won the Premier League title last season in manager Arne Slot's first campaign in charge but, after starting the 2025-26 campaign with five top-flight wins, they have fallen off the pace.
For all Slot’s attempts at circumspection, Liverpool were well worth their win. Mohamed Salah put the hosts in front at the end of a first half they had dominated, with Dominik Szoboszlai and Ibrahima Konaté missing clear chances before the Egyptian forward fired in.
Amid significant roster changes, Liverpool successfully retained Virgil van Dijk by renewing his contract, ensuring he continues to lead the team. Despite this, reports suggest that the veteran defender had the opportunity to join one of the top teams globally but was surprisingly turned down.
Wayne Rooney defends his previous criticism of Liverpool and Virgil van Dijk after the Reds captain called the pundit's analysis of their early season struggles "'lazy".