Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk hits back at Wayne Rooney in awkward exchange live on air | OneFootball

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has hit back at Wayne Rooney in an awkward exchange live on air after the Reds’ 1-0 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League. 

The former Manchester United icon had criticised the defender’s body language last month following the club’s four consecutive Premier League defeats. 

Van Dijk said the 40-year-old’s criticism was ‘lazy’ before Rooney doubled down on his comments. 

The pair met face-to-face for the first time since the row started on Tuesday, as Rooney was part of Amazon Prime’s team in the post-match interview. 

Van Dijk said that sometimes the outside noise was ‘over the top’ without directly referencing the former England forward. 

He said (per Sky Sports): “Of course [some of the criticism has been fair], if you lose four or five games in a row as a Liverpool player, that is fair. It is normal in that sense.

“It’s over the top at times as well, but that is because we live in a world where there are so many platforms, so many people can say stuff and will be picked up and made bigger than what it is.

“I think it would be good for ex-players that played at the highest level that dealt with difficult moments to put things in perspective.”

Rooney appeared to be taken aback by the Liverpool star’s remarks and replied: 

“I’m not saying anything more because I think I’ve spurred them on! We’ve put them on a winning streak! I think what I’ve said was fair.

“When you win the Premier League and then you go on a run where you lose three, four games in a row, which you don’t expect from Liverpool over the last few years.

“And then Virgil, you as the captain, that’s your opportunity to go and lead the players in. That happens in football and I think the response has been great from Virgil, from the team.”

Van Dijk, however, disagreed and said: 

“I think if you would watch games, then I would definitely take the responsibility. I think the comment that I signed my new deal, and then it’s like that’s it, and I let it slide. I think that was a bit…but that’s my personal opinion.”

Liverpool were facing plenty of criticism after losing six of their seven matches in all competitions. 

But they ended their dismal run at the weekend, beating Aston Villa 2-0 in the Premier League at Anfield. 

Arne Slot’s men followed that up with an excellent 1-0 Champions League success against Real Madrid on Tuesday night. 

Alexis Mac Allister scored the decisive goal on the hour mark, when he stole in to head home Dominik Szoboszlai’s free-kick. 

The margin of victory would have been greater for the Merseyside titans without some of the stunning saves from goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.