Virgil van Dijk is preparing for another huge moment in his Liverpool career.
The Reds are set to face Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final, and as captain, Van Dijk wants to lift silverware for the second year in a row.
However, in the buildup to the final, there has been criticism.
Liverpool’s Champions League exit to Paris Saint-Germain was a tough result to take, and some have pointed fingers at individual performances.
Among the critics was Wayne Rooney, who questioned Van Dijk’s effort in PSG’s opening goal.
Rooney’s comments sparked debate, but Van Dijk has always been a leader who focuses on his game rather than outside noise.
He remains confident in his performances and the team’s mentality heading into Sunday’s final.
Still, he was asked about Rooney’s remarks – and he did not avoid the question.
Virgil van Dijk reacts to Wayne Rooney’s “lazy” comments
“Someone told me about this,” Van Dijk said via The Times when asked about the criticism.
He then explained his thought process during the goal, saying, “I think at that particular moment I’m helping [Andrew] Robertson, telling him to clear the outside.”
“I take the inside.”
Despite providing context, he remained unfazed by Rooney’s words.
“I’m even explaining now what I thought at that moment, but if he [Rooney] thought it was lazy then he gave his opinion.”
“That’s it.”
Van Dijk also highlighted the challenges of playing in the modern game, where opinions are amplified.
“There were so many challenges years ago for those players and, obviously, it’s a challenge for the players nowadays that you have to deal with opinions here and there and it gets blown up all the time.”
Ultimately, his focus remains on the team and their success.
“Looking at what I see in the dressing room, the boys are doing well in terms of keeping their heads down and focusing on the task ahead.”
“That’s the most important thing I want to see.”
If Liverpool lift another trophy on Sunday, Van Dijk will let his performances do the talking.
Read more: Virgil van Dijk on contract: “The only thing I can say”
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