Wayne Rooney dishes out fresh Virgil van Dijk response after 'lazy' criticism

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Former Manchester United and Everton striker Wayne Rooney has stood by his recent remarks about Virgil van Dijk after the Liverpool captain hit back at the weekend. The ex-United and England skipper questioned Van Dijk's body language last week following the Premier League loss to Brentford.

Liverpool have endured a difficult campaign, with Saturday's 2-0 victory over Aston Villa bringing an end to four consecutive league defeats for the reigning English top-flight champions. Arne Slot's squad had suffered six losses in their previous seven fixtures across all competitions prior to that triumph against Unai Emery's side.

Rooney suggested Van Dijk has fallen short on leadership this season. In reply, the Dutch centre-back said following Saturday's 2-0 victory over Aston Villa that he believed the critical comments were "lazy".

Rooney has since hit back at Van Dijk's remarks, insisting he holds the Liverpool defender in high regard, but maintaining the Dutchman hasn't reached his usual standards this campaign.

"Van Dijk, similar to Mo Salah , over the last five years, he's been one of if not the best defender in the world , and last year it was hard to say anything bad because he was that good," he said on his BBC podcast.

"I'm sure he'd come out and say he probably hasn't been as best this season if he's honest with himself, and as captain, your job if things aren't going right is to speak to your teammates, call meetings with your teammates. "And that's really what I was saying as a captain, as a leader, I'm sure he will have been doing that.

"I've got full respect for Virgil van Dijk, I think he's a fantastic player. My job now as a pundit is to give my opinions on what I feel.

"I'm sure if you ask him or you ask Arne Slot , he probably hasn't been as good as he has been over the last few years and that was my comment."

Van Dijk had taken exception to Rooney's previous comments from last week and said over the weekend: "Well, I didn't hear him last year.

"It doesn't hurt me, to be honest, I feel like, just to come back to this particular player, and this obviously a legend, big player of the game - I can say all the only positive things but I feel like that comment, I would say it's a bit of a lazy criticism.

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"That's my personal opinion. It's easy to blame the other players, but he knows 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.

"Like I said, last year when things go well you don't hear that at all. It is what it is.

"You have to do that job as well, so it is what it is. It's part and parcel when everyone has an opinion and we have to deal with it.

"And there are no hard feelings, by the way. I don't take it personal whatsoever, but I feel like that."