Nigeria, Nov. 3 -- Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has dismissed Wayne Rooney's remarks questioning the team's leadership during their recent poor run, describing the comments as "lazy criticism."



Rooney, in his podcast last week, blamed a lack of leadership from Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah for Liverpool's dip in form after a strong start to the 2025/26 Premier League campaign. The Reds, who began the season with five straight wins, have since stumbled, losing four consecutive league matches before a rebound victory against Aston Villa.



Speaking after the win, Van Dijk responded firmly, insisting that such remarks overlook the collective effort within the squad. "I didn't hear him last year when things were going well," the Dutch...