Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk hit back at criticism from Manchester United icon Wayne Rooney in the aftermath of the Reds' Champions League win over Real Madrid. Rooney had spoken publicly about the perceived poor body language of the Dutchman and Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah, a statement that Van Dijk did not agree with. The two men then came face-to-face post-match at Anfield on Tuesday night, and exchanged some awkward words.

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk was in contact with Real Madrid through his entourage last season regarding a potential free transfer in the summer. Van Dijk rejected offers from several other clubs, including Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal, as his priority was to join Madrid. However, the Spanish side chose to look elsewhere and instead signed defender Dean Huijsen.

Wayne Rooney has doubled down on his criticism of Virgil van Dijk after seeing his previous comments branded “lazy” by the Liverpool captain. The Manchester United legend remains of the opinion that the Dutch defender has not been at his best during the 2025-26 campaign, and believes the commanding centre-half would admit as much “if he’s honest with himself”.

Virgil van Dijk has slammed the “ridiculous” criticism Liverpool faced before they ended their Premier League losing streak against Aston Villa. The Netherlands defender has hit out at the negative “outside noise” which greeted a run of form which saw the Reds lose successive league games against Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Manchester United and Brentford.

Manchester United and England legend Wayne Rooney has accused senior Liverpool stars Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk of lacking leadership and displaying different body language since both signed lucrative new contracts with the club earlier this year. The Premier League champions lost for a fifth time in their last six outings across all competitions over the weekend.