Wayne Rooney can't help but call out Virgil van Dijk again after Liverpool mess

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Wayne Rooney and Virgil van Dijk's war of words looks set to continue, with the former Manchester United and Everton star taking aim at the Liverpool captain after the draw with Tottenham

Wayne Rooney has called out Virgil van Dijk on a number of occasions this season(Image: Getty Images)

Wayne Rooney has once again taken aim at Virgil van Dijk following Liverpool’s calamitous draw with Tottenham on Sunday.

The Reds missed the chance to move into the Premier League’s top four after throwing away a lead against their crisis-ridden rival, once again conceding late on to drop what could be crucial points in the race for Champions League qualification.

The result has increased the pressure on Arne Slot ahead of Wednesday’s second leg against Galatasaray, with Liverpool needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit in order to stay in Europe this season, but it’s not just the Reds’ head coach who is coming in for some criticism.

A few different players have been criticized following yet another low point in what has already been a dismal season, and analyzing the game on Match of the Day, former Manchester United and Everton star Rooney pointed to two of Liverpool’s veterans as part of the problem.

“I think they made a lot of changes in the summer, didn't they? On the back of becoming champions,” Rooney said.

"And I've said it all season: for Van Dijk and [Mohamed] Salah, maybe not playing at the levels which we've seen in recent years - and them changes - it just doesn't feel like the Liverpool of last year."

Virgil van Dijk and his Liverpool team-mates look dejected following the Premier League draw with Tottenham Hotspur(Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

It’s not the first time that Rooney has pointed the finger at Van Dijk this season, with the pair having developed something of a feud after the player-turned-pundit’s criticism earlier in the campaign.

The war of words began after Liverpool’s defeat at Brentford back in October, with Rooney criticizing Van Dijk’s body language during the game before the Liverpool captain hit back, calling the analysis “lazy”.

Rooney would go on to defend his comments, and suggest that Van Dijk and Salah’s levels had dropped following last season’s title triumph.

An awkward meeting between the two followed as Van Dijk addressed Rooney’s criticism live on television following Champions League win over Real Madrid, with the former England international refusing to back down.

Rooney would go on to backtrack on some of his comments, although he has since taken aim at Van Dijk on a few subsequent occasions, with the feud showing no signs of abating.

Van Dijk will be aiming to answer his and Liverpool’s critics as they look to book their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, before traveling to Brighton at the weekend before the international break gets underway.

Despite the disappointment of Sunday’s result against Spurs, the Reds have now moved above Chelsea into fifth in the table, which could prove to be enough should the Premier League be handed an extra spot in the Champions League again next season.