Rooney is not about to apologise for his comments or backtrack on them. Instead, the ex-England captain maintains that Van Dijk should be demanding more himself and those around him at Anfield.
Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, the five-time Premier League title winner said: “Virgil van Dijk’s similar to [Mohamed] Salah, you know, over the last five years he’s been one of, if not the best defender in the world, and last year it was hard to say anything bad because they were that good, and he was that good.
“I’m sure he’ll come out and tell you, he probably hasn’t been at his best this season, if he’s honest with himself. And as captain, your job as captain if things aren’t going right, is to speak to your team-mates, call meetings with your team-mates, and that’s really what I was saying. You know, as a captain, as a leader, I’m sure he will have been doing that.
“I've got full respect for Virgil. I think he's a fantastic player. My job now as a pundit is to give my opinions on what I feel. I'm sure if you ask him or Arne Slot, he probably hasn't been as good as he has been over the last few years. That was my comment which I stick by.”