Wayne Rooney Reignites Explosive Virgil van Dijk Rivalry: "Something's Still Not Right"
The vocal commentator Wayne Rooney has reignited his continuing dispute with Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk, asserting that the Netherlands captain is "overly engaged" with external criticism surrounding the title holders while maintaining that "something isn't quite right" at Anfield.
Rooney and Van Dijk have been engaged in a prolonged verbal battle over the last two weeks. The ex-Manchester United striker initiated the conflict when he challenged the captain's leadership abilities on his podcast earlier this campaign. Van Dijk responded to that criticism in a post-game interview before both were put in an uncomfortable direct encounter.
With the imposing Dutchman standing behind him, Rooney quipped that he was done targeting Liverpool's captain. That commitment was short-lived.
"From a performance standpoint, based on what we've witnessed from Van Dijk, I don't believe he's reached that standard this season," Rooney stated on The Overlap this week.
"I mentioned I'm confident as captain he'd be communicating with players, taking them for meals, which he confirmed he has done. Obviously if he's believed he's accomplished that, if he needed to do that, something isn't quite right.
"As title holders, you cannot lose four matches consecutively. If you drop one match, there are concerns, and if you lose four straight, something isn't functioning properly," Rooney added.
Remarkably, the 40-year-old objected to Van Dijk's decision to respond to criticism.
"I believe engaging too heavily with external commentary—that's our responsibility [as analysts], concentrate on your performance," Rooney remarked. "As a younger athlete, I'd be observing Van Dijk and his response to this—how will it benefit them? You must focus on your match and communicate privately."
Rooney Softens Stance on One Van Dijk Criticism
It wasn't complete reinforcement from Rooney. The former England skipper acknowledged he might have been "somewhat too harsh" when claiming Van Dijk had lowered his performance levels after signing a two-year contract extension last April. "They've secured new agreements but I don't believe they've truly guided that squad this season," Rooney commented about Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah last month.
"The aspect where I perhaps went somewhat too far is when I suggested he's given up since signing his new deal," Rooney acknowledged. "That's a significant accusation to make, and perhaps I was mistaken about that."
Nevertheless, Rooney introduced that retreat with the statement: "My role now is to share my viewpoints, and I believe I'm direct and truthful with my perspectives and feelings."