Virgil van Dijk and Wayne Rooney came face-to-face in a tense live interview just days after their dispute about the Man United legend’s criticism of Liverpool.
Rooney had taken umbrage with Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah’s way of leading the team during their recent slump in form and said their mannerisms were a ‘big concern’.
The Liverpool skipper then hit back after steering his side to Saturday night’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa, calling the criticism ‘lazy’.
And on Tuesday evening after Liverpool overcame Real Madrid 1-0 with a superb home performance, the Dutchman was interviewed on Amazon Prime during the live post-game broadcast on which Rooney was a pundit alongside him.
Van Dijk referenced the criticism his team have been putting up with, saying: ‘In a world of chaos you have to try to stay calm and take the perspective of things. There’s so much football to be played, so many twists and turns can happen. At the time the noise was a lot…’
Presenter Gabby Logan interjected: ‘Are you looking at anyone?’
Wayne Rooney (right) and Virgil van Dijk came face-to-face days after their dispute
Van Dijk led Liverpool to their second win in four days in a major reversal of fortunes
With Rooney smiling, Van Dijk replied: ‘No I’m not! I think it’s very important to put things in perspective, keep your head down to work and get out of the situation, because we have quality that’s not the issue.
Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler, also on punditry duty, then asked if the outside noise affects the squad.
‘I think all of you know you’re dealing with a squad of 25 player a lot of young players and a couple of older players like myself, everyone lives a different life,’ the defender explained.
‘Me personally, it doesn’t affect me but I’m dealing with some players who might be.’
‘If you lose games as a Liverpool player, four or five in a row, it’s a fair criticism, but I think its over the top at times as well. But that’s because we live in a world where there’s so many platforms, so many people can say stuff and will be picked up and made bigger.
‘I think it’s good that when ex-players who’ve played at the highest level, who dealt with difficult moments, put a lot of things in perspective…’
Rooney, to his credit then made light of the awkward situation and addressed the elephant in the room.
He joked: ‘I’m not saying anything any more, I think I’ve spurred them on and put them on a winning streak!’
Rooney defended his original criticism but Van Dijk would not let him off the hook
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The Liverpool captain led from the front and then had a tense interview afterwards
But he then defended his previous criticism, saying: ‘What I’ve said was fair, when you win the Premier League and go on a run where you lose games in a row that you don’t expect of the Liverpool of the last few years… Virgil as captain that’s your opportunity to go and lead the players, and that’s what I was saying. I think that happens in football, I think the response has been great from Virgil and from the team.’
Van Dijk would not let Rooney off the hook, retorting: ‘I think if you watch games, I definitely take responsibility! I think the comment that I signed the new deal and then it’s like “that’s it” and “I’ll let it slide”, I think that’s a bit… but that’s my personal opinion.’
‘I want to perform for the team and the club and when we go through a tough time as a team it hurts me so much and I want to turn it round. Because I also see the work we put in each and every day, I see the quality we have.’
Two days ago, Van Dijk had issued a similarly robust defence, responding to Rooney’s critique by saying: ‘I didn’t hear him last year.
‘No, it doesn’t hurt me to be honest. 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 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 obviously 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 and, like I said as well, last year when things go well you don’t hear that at all. It is what it is.
The exchange was relatively good natured, though slightly uncomfortable on live TV
‘(Pundits) have to do that job as well, so it is what it is. Like I said, he has an opinion and we have to deal with it. And there’s no hard feelings, by the way. I don’t take it personally whatsoever.’
The Reds were fully deserving of their win at Anfield on Tuesday night on Trent Alexander-Arnold’s return to the club he walked out on.
Alexis Mac Allister’s header proved to be the difference but Kylian Mbappe and Co hardly had a sniff and Thibaut Courtois’ heroics spared the visitors a more damning scoreline.
Van Dijk was also asked if he had said hello or planned to meet up with his old team-mate, to which he simply replied: ‘No’.
The captain and Liverpool have responded to the criticism and their run of six defeats in seven games in the best possible way, with two victories in the space of four days.
If they can go to Manchester City this weekend and make it three from three, the mini crisis will have been well and truly averted.
