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Wayne Rooney has urged Virgil van Dijk to disregard “outside noise” and “focus on your game” as the former England international continued his critique of the Liverpool captain following the club’s recent downturn in form.
Liverpool suffered a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday, marking their fifth loss in six Premier League fixtures. This poor run follows a brief respite of back-to-back victories against Aston Villa and Real Madrid.
Rooney initially voiced concerns last month, questioning Van Dijk’s commitment since signing a new contract.
This led to an uncomfortable on-air exchange between the two during Amazon Prime’s coverage of Liverpool’s win over Real Madrid last Tuesday, where they addressed the situation directly.
While Rooney later conceded on his podcast, The Wayne Rooney Show, that he had been “a bit unfair” with his initial comment, he has now elaborated on his stance.
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Rooney has told Van Dijk to stop worrying about ‘outside noise’ amid Liverpool’s struggles (Getty)
Speaking on the Overlap Fan Debate podcast, Rooney clarified his position: “My job now is to give my opinions. I like to think I try and be straight and honest with my opinions on what I feel and what I see.”
He added, regarding his previous statement: “I said on my podcast the other day, the one thing where I maybe went a bit too strong is where I said he’s maybe downed tools since he signed a new contract – that’s a big statement to say, so maybe I was wrong on that.”
However, Rooney maintained his assessment of the defender’s performance: “But from a performance level, from what we’ve seen, Van Dijk, I don’t think he’s been at the level he has this season.”
He also touched upon leadership, stating: “I said I’m sure as captain he’d be speaking to players, taking the team out for food, which he said he has done. Clearly if he’s felt he’s done that, he’s had to do that, then there’s something not right.”
Rooney stressed the importance of internal focus for the captain. “As champions, you can’t lose four games in a row. If you lose one game, there’s questions, and if you lose four in a row, there’s something not right,” he observed.
He advised Van Dijk: “I think getting involved too much in the outside noise – that’s our job. Focus on your game, because as a younger player I’d be looking at Van Dijk and how he reacts to this, how is that going to help them? I just think you have to get on with your game and speak internally.”
The recent loss to City leaves Liverpool in eighth place in the Premier League table, eight points adrift of leaders Arsenal heading into the international break.
The club previously endured a run of four consecutive defeats across all competitions in September and October.