Rooney climbs down on Van Dijk criticism but still questions Liverpool captain’s form | OneFootball

Virgil van Dijk would expect some abuse from Manchester United figures, but Wayne Rooney’s latest admission after their on-air confrontation shows even old rivals know when to take a step back.

Rooney admits “maybe I was unfair” after Anfield encounter

Image via Amazon Prime Video Sport

Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, the 40-year-old former England striker said he was “maybe a bit unfair” with his previous assessment that Virgil van Dijk had “downed tools” after signing a new Liverpool contract.

The ex-United man’s initial remarks angered supporters and even prompted a sharp response from the Dutch defender, who dismissed the claims as “lazy criticism”.

After Tuesday night’s 1–0 win over Real Madrid, where Van Dijk’s dominance underlined exactly why he remains our leader, the two met live on Amazon Prime’s coverage.

“The comment that I signed my new deal and then it was like ‘that is it’ and I let it slide, I think that was a bit… but that’s my personal opinion and we move on,” said the Liverpool captain.

Rooney appeared more reflective this time: “Maybe I was a bit unfair because I don’t know him that well as a person.”

However, he still stood by the core of his argument: “From a performance point of view, I was speaking about what I felt and what I was seeing. Van Dijk will judge himself by those high standards.”

Van Dijk leads Reds response to critics

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

It’s telling that since Rooney’s initial jibe, Liverpool have responded with consecutive wins – first against Aston Villa, then with a statement victory over Real Madrid.

The 34-year-old centre-back not only kept Kylian Mbappe quiet but also led by example in both boxes, seeing his header somehow clawed away by Thibaut Courtois before Alexis Mac Allister’s decisive goal.

The Dutchman’s performance typified the resilience that’s defined us under Arne Slot, especially after recent struggles in the league.

With the Reds still battling near the top of the Premier League table, few could argue that our captain hasn’t answered back in the best possible way – on the pitch.

You can watch Slot’s comments on Szoboszlai via Empire of the Kop on YouTube:

Join our channel of readers on WhatsApp to get the day’s top stories straight to your mobile