Van Dijk Leaves Rooney 'Stuttering' After Confronting Him Over Recent Criticism

Virgil van Dijk ruthlessly called out Wayne Rooney to his face following his recent criticism of the Liverpool star.

Liverpool returned to the win column following back-to-back defeats by beating Aston Villa last weekend.

And Arne Slot's team secured one of their biggest wins of the season following their 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Alexis Mac Allister headed home his side's winner in the second-half and appeared to aim a dig at Trent Alexander-Arnold when celebrating his goal.

Liverpool are now on a two-game winning streak, having suffered defeats to Crystal Palace (x2), Galatasaray, Chelsea and Manchester United in recent weeks.

They came under fire for their performances against the likes of Chelsea and Man United, with Rooney taking aim at Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah.

"Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, they've signed new deals but I don't think they've really led that team this season," he said.

"I think body language tells you a lot, and I think we're seeing slightly different body language from the two of them. They are the top two players in that team and if their body language is not right, that affects everyone else.

"I might be wrong on this, but if I was a Liverpool fan or the manager, that would be a big concern for me."

Well, Van Dijk confronted Rooney over his leadership claim when he spoke to Amazon Prime following his side's victory over Real on Tuesday.

"There was a lot of energy and hard work in the performance tonight," he said. "They had won 14 of their last 15 games and they have a lot of quality. We had to be spot on in everything we do.

"Sometimes you have to go into a low block and we executed our game plan brilliantly. In a world of chaos you have to stay calm and have perspective. At times the noise was a lot.

"It is important to put things into perspective, get your head down and put the work in. For me personally I do not get affected by the noise. I think some of the criticism has been fair but some has been over the top. Clean sheets are the basis of success.

"We had that last season and we are trying to get that back. You saw the hard work tonight and in the Aston Villa game."

Virgil van Dijk celebrates Liverpool's victory over Real Madrid. Image: Getty

On standing up to criticism from pundits, the Reds skipper added: "I am living with players that might have been affected by it. If you lose a game for Liverpool - four, five games – there is criticism - that is normal in a sense.

"It is over the top at times. I think it's because we live in the world of so many platforms, so many people can say stuff, and it can be picked up. Ex-players that played at the highest level had difficult moments as well.

"I want to perform for the team, the club and everyone who supports us through thick and thin."

Van Dijk shared a warm embrace with Rooney before leaving the Amazon Prime set, seemingly burying the hatchet.