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

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Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk responded to Wayne Rooney's comments on his captaincy by saying it was 'lazy criticism' and the war of words between the two Premier League legends has continuedFormer 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.

In reply, the Dutch centre-back said following Saturday's 2-0 victory over Aston Villa that he believed the critical comments were "lazy".READ MORE: Micah Richards at loggerheads with Paul Scholes as he names 'one of the best in the world’READ MORE: Jamie Carragher four-word response sums up Liverpool feelings on Alexander IsakRooney 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."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.