Wayne Rooney can't resist another Virgil van Dijk dig after post-PSG decision

Liverpool is out of the Champions League after a defeat to PSG in the quarter-finals, leading to questions over what is next for the Reds, and who should take responsibility for a tough campaign

Wayne Rooney questioned Liverpool's leadership core after not facing questions following the Champions League exit to PSG(Image: (Photo by Ryan Crockett/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images))

Former England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has questioned why Liverpool's leaders in the squad didn't face the media, after Ibrahima Konate was put up to speak following the Reds' defeat to PSG in the Champions League.

After suffering a 2-0 defeat at the Parc des Princes, an almighty comeback was needed at Anfield if Arne Slot and his side was dreaming of lifting the European trophy.

While there was a glimmer of hope when a penalty was awarded with the game level on the night, a VAR overturn halted that momentum, before two devastating blows from Ousmane Dembele ensured another 2-0 victory for PSG, resulting in a 4-0 aggregate defeat for Liverpool.

It was the final chance of any silverware for the club in a season that has been far from consistent in results of performances, with the only goal left being a top-five finish in the Premier League and a return to the Champions League for next season.

As the probing into Liverpool's problems continue, Rooney questioned the leadership within the squad when Konate was put forward to speak with the media, over his teammates.

That includes Van Dijk, who has been in a notable war of words with Rooney over the past year, in a potential dig from the former Man United star.

Speaking on Amazon Prime, Rooney said: "I'm surprised to see him come out and talk after the game. I don't think I've ever heard Konate do [an interview] in his time at Liverpool.

Virgil van Dijk consoles Mohamed Salah after Liverpool's exit from the Champions League(Image: (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images))

"It would've been nice to see one of the leaders come out. When you go out in a competition, you wanna hear from one of the leaders. I know they [the leaders] do a lot of interviews, but I think that's probably the wrong time for Konate to come out and do an interview."

It's another potential dig at Van Dijk, who has fronted up to the media in recent weeks, most notably in the defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup.

However, that in itself underlines how tough the past few weeks has been for Liverpool, with the side now without a trophy and staring at the need for another rebuild in the summer.

Konate, in his interview with TNT Sports, admitted how tough the tie had been as he said: "To be honest, we can say yes and no [on deserving to lose] because when we played there they had many chances and only scored two.

"But we knew at Anfield, we can maybe do something special. Today, we created many chances and I think on the pitch we were the better team today.

"That’s why it is a little bit unfair. It’s like last season; when we play at home we create many chances and had so many opportunities to score. On the other hand, they had maybe one or two clear chances and they score. This is football. It’s sad."

Liverpool was disappointing in Tuesday's defeat to PSG(Image: Getty Images)

While Slot's future remains unclear, the main focus for the manager and his players will be on Champions League qualification once again.

"I think it is a minimum standard for Liverpool to play in the Champions League," Konate added. "We have six games left and in these games we have to give all in and we know how difficult the Premier League is."

Attention quickly turns to the Premier League, as Liverpool takes on Everton in a Merseyside Derby that could have huge ramifications for the rest of the season.