Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has hit back at Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney over his “lazy criticism” of the Reds defender.
The Merseysiders were crowned champions last season as Arne Slot’s side romped to the Premier League title, finishing ten points ahead of second-placed Arsenal.
However, despite winning their first five matches of the season, Liverpool find themselves in third place currently after a run of four straight defeats in the Premier League.
They ended that awful form on Saturday by beating Aston Villa at Anfield but it looks like that big blip could see them miss out on defending their Premier League title.
Van Dijk and the rest of his defence have come in for lots of criticism in recent weeks with Liverpool putting in disorganised and sloppy displays.
Speaking about criticism from a number of former players and pundits after beating Aston Villa 2-0, Van Dijk said: “I think it’s a funny thing, isn’t it? Because last year we didn’t hear anything about this, because obviously things were going well, and we were also seen as the leaders.
“This year, when things are not going as well as we want for the last couple of weeks, then we’re not doing our job properly. So that’s the life we live. We feel that responsibility. We want to lead by example.
“When there are difficult moments, I try to help my teammates,” Van Dijk added. “I try to put them in front of me and want to make them perform in the best possible shape.
“People question loads of stuff, especially when you lose. There are so many platforms nowadays that everyone can say whatever they like and it gets blown up.”
During their recent run of losses, Man Utd legend Rooney thought that the poor form of Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah could be down to them signing new deals earlier this year.
Rooney said on his BBC podcast: “No one has seen this coming, it’s hit them quick, it’s hit them hard and I think they’re struggling to find a way out of it.
“This is a time where the manager and the leaders in the team need to figure it out very quickly. Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, they’ve signed new deals but I don’t think they’ve really led that team this season.
“I think body language tells you a lot, and I think we’re seeing slightly different body language from the two of them.
“They are the top two players in that team and if their body language is not right, that affects everyone else.
“I might be wrong on this, but if I was a Liverpool fan or the manager, that would be a big concern for me.”
MORE ON LIVERPOOL FROM F365…
👉 Arne Slot now joint-favourite in Sack Race after Wolves axe Vitor Pereira
👉 Neville names ‘the only team’ who can stop Arsenal winning the Premier League title
👉 Neville’s nine-word confusion sums up Liverpool ‘madness’ as losing streak broken
Hitting back at those comments specifically, Van Dijk added: “Well, I didn’t hear him last year.
“It doesn’t hurt me, to be honest. I feel like, just to come back to this particular player, and this obviously a legend, big player of the game – I can say all the only positive things but I feel like that comment, I would say it’s a bit of a lazy criticism.
“That’s my personal opinion. It’s easy to blame the other players, but he knows as well as everyone else we do it together, trying to help each and every one of us to try to get out of this. Like I said, last year when things go well you don’t hear that at all. It is what it is.
“You have to do that job as well, so it is what it is. It’s part and parcel when everyone has an opinion and we have to deal with it.
“And there are no hard feelings, by the way. I don’t take it personal whatsoever, but I feel like that.”