Pundit Wayne Rooney has defended his criticism of Virgil van Dijk after the Liverpool captain dismissed the comments as “lazy.”
Rooney initially questioned the leadership and body language of both Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah during Liverpool’s poor run of form.
Despite Van Dijk’s sharp response following Liverpool’s win over Aston Villa, Rooney is standing by his opinion.
He insisted he has “full respect” for the defender but maintains that Van Dijk has not performed up to his usual standard this season, a situation Rooney feels a captain should address with teammates.
“My job now as a pundit is to give my opinions on what I feel,” Rooney stated, asserting that the dip in form is undeniable compared to the elite level Van Dijk set in previous years.
