Van Dijk: We have to deal with ''ridiculous'' takes and noise | OneFootball

Virgil Van Dijk has fired back at Wayne Rooney, calling the former England striker’s comments about him and Mohamed Salah “lazy” and slamming the “ridiculous takes” around Liverpool’s poor spell.

Rooney, speaking on his BBC podcast, claimed Liverpool’s captain and Salah had shown a lack of leadership this season and that their body language wasn’t right. Between late September and late October, the Reds lost six of seven matches — including at home to Manchester United and away to Crystal Palace.

Van Dijk has now hit back but admitted that some criticism does get through to his teammates. 

He said of Rooney: “I didn’t hear him last year. It doesn’t hurt me. Just to come back to this particular player, obviously a legend, a big player of the game who inspired so many, I can say only positive things, but I feel that comment is just a bit of a lazy criticism. 

"It’s easy to blame the older players but he knows as well as everyone else that we do it together and try to help each other to get out of this. There are so many platforms nowadays that everyone can say whatever they like and it gets blown up.”

The 34-year-old also acknowledged that the outside noise can affect players, with Liverpool seven points off leaders Arsenal.

“What I have noticed, over the last couple of weeks especially, is that there is a lot of noise that you have no control over and that we have to deal with as a team,” he added.

“Some of those takes are absolutely ridiculous. But you have to deal with that. It’s outside noise that can reach certain players, the group. It’s about sticking together.”