Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk dismissed Wayne Rooney's remarks about his and Mohamed Salah's leadership as unfounded. Rooney, on his podcast, suggested that Van Dijk and Salah hadn't truly led Liverpool this
season. The Reds recently broke a four-game Premier League losing streak with a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa, positioning them third in the standings, seven points behind Arsenal.
Van Dijk remains focused on Liverpool's performance rather than external opinions. He stated, "I didn't hear him last year. It doesn't hurt me. " He acknowledged Rooney as a football legend but described the criticism as "lazy. " Van Dijk emphasised teamwork, noting that when things were going well last year, such comments were absent. He added that pundits have their roles and opinions are part of it.
Liverpool aims to build on their recent win as they prepare to face Real Madrid in the Champions League. At Anfield, they've won 20 of their last 22 home group stage matches in this competition. However, Spanish teams have caused trouble before, with three of their seven home group losses coming against Barcelona, Valencia, and Real Madrid.
Returning to #UCL action as we face Real Madrid under the Anfield lights pic.twitter.com/373AYjweRu
- Liverpool FC (@LFC) November 2, 2025
Rooney's comments came after Liverpool's win against Villa. Despite the criticism, Van Dijk is not taking it personally. He reiterated that teamwork is crucial for overcoming challenges. "It's easy to blame other players," he said, highlighting the collective effort needed to improve.
Liverpool will be looking to extend their impressive home form in Europe against Real Madrid. Their recent performances at Anfield have been strong, winning each of their last 12 group stage games there. This consistency at home provides a solid foundation for their upcoming match.
The focus remains on maintaining momentum in both domestic and European competitions. As they prepare for Real Madrid, Liverpool hopes to continue their strong form at Anfield and close the gap on Arsenal in the Premier League standings.
