Wayne Rooney threatens to reignite Liverpool war of words after defender 'thrown under bus'
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Liverpool continued their winning run in the Premier League but Wayne Rooney has threatened to reignite a war of words with Virgil van Dijk14:50, 20 Apr 2026Updated 14:52, 20 Apr 2026Wayne Rooney aimed a strange dig at Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk following the 2-1 win over Everton. Liverpool bounced back from their disappointment against the Parisiens, having failed to overturn a two-goal deficit in the first leg, as Ousmane Dembele's Anfield double damaged any hope of a spirited fightback.The Reds' form and inconsistency throughout the campaign have led to criticism - in particular towards key players like Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah.READ MORE: 'Don't like it' - Mohamed Salah moment from Liverpool win rubs Wayne Rooney the wrong wayREAD MORE: Jamie Carragher targeted by Everton fan during Sky Sports coverage of Liverpool matchRooney has been particularly vocal about the Liverpool captain during a poor Premier League title defence, while they had endured hardship in Europe too.
In November, the pair were embroiled in a back-and-forth before an awkward meeting during Amazon Prime's coverage after their win over Real Madrid.In light of Liverpool's 2-1 win over Everton, thanks to Van Dijk's stoppage-time winner against Rooney's former club, the 43-year-old has threatened to reignite the feud.Speaking on his podcast, the former Blues striker said: “It’s never nice to lose a derby, especially lose it late on. So, it was nice to see Van Dijk and Salah do an interview after the game - it was nice.“I thought Konate got thrown under the bus a bit after the Champions League game, don’t think I’ve ever heard him do an interview and I thought he struggled in his interview."It’s easy, that’s what I’ve said all season, to be fair to Van Dijk he does a lot and has done all season.
The win for the Premier League champions means that they sit seven points clear inside the Champions League places, having received the safety net of fifth place securing qualification due to the coefficient ratings.Following the dramatic win over their rivals, the two goalscorers, Van Dijk and Salah, were put up for media duties with Sky Sports after the Egyptian received the Player of the Match award for the display in his final Merseyside derby before leaving Liverpool.It was a rare media appearance for Salah after his difficulties throughout the campaign. I’m glad in the end we managed to win the game."I wish I just keep scoring and help the team at least to achieve Champions League [qualification] this season.