Virgil van Dijk hits back at 'lazy' Wayne Rooney after pundit's leadership jibe

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Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, they've signed new deals but I don't think they have really led the team this season."But after Salah scored his 250th Liverpool goal and Van Dijk played a key role in a clean sheet in the win over Aston Villa at Anfield, the Dutchman took aim at Rooney.READ MORE: Mo Salah opens up on feelings at Liverpool after equalling Wayne Rooney recordREAD MORE: Arne Slot's tactical masterstroke pays off as Liverpool end nightmare form“I didn’t hear him last year,” said Van Dijk. Rooney had described Van Dijk as ‘lazy’ when Ousmane Dembele scored the only goal in Paris St Germain’s Champions League win at Anfield back in March.And referring to Rooney’s role as a pundit - having unsuccessfully pursued a managerial career - Van Dijk added: “You have to do that job as well, so it is what it is.

It's quite impossible when everyone, like I said, has an opinion and we have to deal with it."And there are no hard feelings, by the way. We try to help each other to try to get out of this and, like I said, last year when things go well, you don't hear that at all.”Rooney has not been the only pundit to criticise Van Dijk, who, like Salah, signed a new two-year deal towards the end of last season.

And it's not easy to do that for everyone, but for me, I'm mature enough and I have a very stable life that I will be able to do so.”After ending their four-game run of Premier League defeats, Liverpool now turn their attention to Tuesday’s visit of Real Madrid in the Champions League. Van Dijk said: “We tried to go after Frankfurt (Liverpool beat Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 before the loss at Brentford) and it didn’t work out that well.“But there’s another opportunity on Tuesday and that’s how you have to see it.