Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has defended his actions during the recent Champions League last-16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), following criticism from former Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney.
The match saw PSG's Ousmane Dembele score the opening goal, putting PSG level on aggregate in the second leg of this engrossing tie. Dembele, operating as a roaming false nine, received the ball in space before passing it wide to Bradley Barcola. Barcola's low cross eventually found its way back to Dembele for an easy tap-in.
Rooney, serving as a pundit for Amazon Prime, singled out Van Dijk when analysing this goal. He accused Liverpool's captain of being lazy and leaving a significant gap that allowed Dembele to score.
Wayne Rooney, Manchester United legend, said:
"They are trying to press the ball and Van Dijk gets lazy, If you keep your eye on Van Dijk, he's walking and leaves a massive gap to Dembele."
Van Dijk defends his actions
Van Dijk responded this week after learning about Rooney’s comments. He explained his thought process leading up to PSG’s opening goal at Anfield on Tuesday night.
Liverpool captain, Virgil van Dijk, said:
"I think at that particular moment I'm helping [Andrew] Robertson, telling him to clear the outside. I take the inside. 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. 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.
"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. No one’s going smooth sailing, especially if you’re in the Premier League. If we get the reward for it at the end of the season then I'm sure Liverpool is going to be bouncing."
Despite no further goals being scored during regular time or extra time, PSG won the match in a penalty shootout
Redemption waiting
Rather than dwelling on their European elimination, Van Dijk and his teammates are focusing their attention towards their upcoming match against Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium this Sunday evening.
This game presents an opportunity for Liverpool not only to secure another trophy but also for players like Virgil van Dijk to demonstrate their skills and commitment once again - proving critics wrong along the way.
While criticism is a part of any sport, it's the response on the field that truly matters. As Liverpool prepares for their next challenge, fans and critics alike will be watching to see how they bounce back from their Champions League disappointment.
