Wayne Rooney Admits Defeat and Apologizes in Explosive Virgil van Dijk Clash
Wayne Rooney has acknowledged that his critique of Virgil van Dijk was "unjust" following a tense meeting between the two after Liverpool's 1-0 victory against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
The Merseyside club secured a significant triumph over the 15-time European champions, thanks to Alexis Mac Allister's powerful header during the second period.
This represented a notable improvement for Liverpool, who had faced widespread condemnation after suffering defeats in six of their previous seven matches across all tournaments. Among those who criticized the Reds was Rooney, who stated that Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah had failed to "truly guide the squad" and that their "demeanor was problematic"—which subsequently impacted their fellow players.
Van Dijk responded sharply, describing Rooney's assessment as "superficial analysis," and the pair found themselves face-to-face before Amazon Prime TV cameras when the defender emerged for media obligations rather than the expected Dominik Szoboszlai.
Following their discussion that evening, Rooney has now acknowledged that he had crossed boundaries when evaluating Van Dijk, though he maintained it was normal for title holders to face scrutiny when performance standards decline.
Rooney: Scrutiny Part of Being a Top Player
"Szoboszlai was supposed to appear, I believe," Rooney explained on the most recent installment of his eponymous BBC Sport podcast. "However, credit to him for stepping forward and expressing his viewpoint. Look, Virgil van Dijk has been among the finest, if not the premier center-back globally over the past four to five years, and his displays have declined recently.
"I've expressed my views on this matter; he holds his own perspective, which deserves acknowledgment. However, as reigning Premier League champions, opponents target you, and when you fail to secure victory in a single match, inquiries arise."
He added: "The reality is, when your performance suffers and victories become elusive as Premier League titleholders, everyone will voice their opinions.
"Naturally, when you're underperforming or failing to win matches, those opinions... they'll examine the reasons and share their theories. Liverpool can respond to this in two ways: allow it to undermine them, or harness it as motivation.
"Consider Manchester United's recent years and the condemnation they've endured. I competed at the highest level, captained England and Manchester United. I faced criticism on numerous fronts.
"That comes with being an elite athlete. You must handle it. You must sometimes accept it. Listen, my remarks were excessive, and I'm the first to admit fault. Just as I did with Manchester United when I criticized them before they won matches, and I revisited those comments. When I'm wrong, I'm willing to acknowledge it."
Rooney concluded that his statements were potentially harsh because he doesn't have personal knowledge of Van Dijk, which led him to suspect the 34-year-old might have become complacent after securing his new deal. However, "elite athletes, top-tier players like Van Dijk, utilize such criticism as fuel"—Liverpool hopes this pattern persists as they aim to narrow the distance to early Premier League leaders Arsenal before year's end.