Wayne Rooney definitely does not learn his lessons. After accusing Virgil van Dijk of having “ give up” since signing his new contract at Liverpool, the former Manchester United striker had received a scathing response from the Batavian giant.
“A bit of a lazy review”had released the captain of the Reds. The two men even clashed on camera after the Champions League match between Liverpool and Real Madrid. Van Dijk found Rooney’s comments “exaggerated”, especially the idea that he signed his contract and then relaxed his efforts. Rooney stood his ground that evening. But obviously, the former Red Devil did not understand the message. Because he has just done it again.
Van Dijk: Rooney half-apologizes, then drives the point home
In the show The Overlap Fan Debate with Sky Bet, Rooney has backtracked… half. “The only thing where I maybe went a little too strong was when I said he had given up since he signed his new contract. That’s a big accusation, and maybe I was wrong about that. »
So far, one might believe in excuses. But Rooney couldn’t help but continue : “But performance-wise, from what we’ve seen from Van Dijk, I don’t think he’s up to par this season. » And to continue on the leadership of the Dutchman: “As champions you can’t lose four games in a row. If he had to take the players out to dinner to reconnect, there is something wrong. »
Rooney then took a paternalistic tone. “My advice? Ignore the outside noise, it’s our job to criticize. Focus on your game. As a young player, I would watch Van Dijk and his reaction to that. How will this help the team? You need to move forward and talk internally. » Advice that risks making Van Dijk smile, who is 33 years old, 80 caps with the Netherlands, and an XXL career. The former Southampton defender probably doesn’t need lessons from Rooney on managing media pressure. Especially when the Englishman continues to criticize while pretending to backtrack.
The paternalistic advice that does not pass
Rooney also compared the situation to that of Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United. “ We were doing that with Cristiano, where Ronaldo wasn’t defending as much, and we were all working a little harder. But it’s a difficult match against a top team. You have to yell at your players to get them to come back and defend. That’s what I was saying about leadership. » A shaky comparison, since Ronaldo was an attacker, not a central defender supposed to organize the defense. But Rooney persists and signs.
“Wazza” should perhaps be wary. The next time he meets Van Dijk, the Batavian may not be as diplomatic. During their first televised face-to-face, the Liverpool captain had already shut up the former Red Devil. And clearly, Rooney didn’t hold anything back. By continuing to criticize Van Dijk’s leadership while pretending to apologize, the Englishman opens himself up to another scathing response. And frankly, he won’t have stolen it. Virgil van Dijk is not one to let things go twice.
