Virgil van Dijk fires back at Wayne Rooney’s criticism after Liverpool’s latest Premier League win
Liverpool surprised everyone with an unstable start to the 2025-26 season, despite making radical changes to their roster. With millions invested, Arne Slot’s team suffered a series of defeats. In response, legend Wayne Rooney did not hesitate to strongly criticize Virgil Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah. However, the Reds turned their situation around with a crucial victory against Aston Villa, prompting the team’s captain to deliver a strong response to the Englishman.
Following Liverpool’s defeat to Brentford, Wayne Rooney was quick to offer a blunt analysis of the Reds’ situation, criticizing the team’s current captain: “…Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, they’ve signed new deals but I don’t think they’ve really led that team this season… I think we’re seeing slightly different body language from the two of them. They are the top two players in that team and if their body language is not right, that affects everyone else,” he said in his podcast.
Although the Reds did not start the season in good form, they have managed to secure a crucial victory against Aston Villa, giving fans hope for a return to their best. In response, Van Dijk didn’t hesitate to address criticism from the English legend: “I didn’t hear him last year. It doesn’t hurt me. Just to come back to this particular player, obviously a legend, a big player of the game who inspired so many… I would say it’s a bit of a lazy criticism. That’s my personal opinion.”
Even though their season start was not promising, Liverpool remain in the third tier of the Premier League standings. With their latest victory, they are now just seven points behind Arsenal’s leadership, giving Van Dijk an opportunity to build trust among fans. Nonetheless, Coach Arne Slot faces a significant challenge as the Reds prepare to face Real Madrid in the Champions League and Manchester City within seven days lapse, potentially transforming their season.
Mohamed Salah hits major milestone as he rediscovers top form for Liverpool
After much uncertainty surrounding his future, Mohamed Salah finally signed a long-awaited contract renewal with Liverpool, committing to extend his history with the team. Despite this, his start to the 2025-26 season left many wondering whether the team had made the right decision. However, the Egyptian managed to rediscover his best form and reached an important milestone, putting to rest Wayne Rooney’s doubts about him.
In the Reds’ victory over Aston Villa, Salah netted his 250th goal since joining the team, achieving this milestone in 415 games. The Egyptian forward now ranks as the third-highest scorer in Liverpool’s history, trailing only Roger Hunt, who scored 285 goals in 492 appearances, and Ian Rush, with 346 goals in 660 appearances. With a contract extending until 2027, Mohamed Salah appears poised to become the team’s all-time leading scorer.