Wayne Rooney takes swipe at Liverpool after Ibrahima Konate 'thrown under bus'

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Liverpool's players enjoyed a rare high points in their season with victory in the Merseyside derby, but former Everton star Wayne Rooney still took issue with the Reds

Wayne Rooney has taken aim at Liverpool's players(Image: BBC Sport)

Wayne Rooney has hit out at Liverpool, with the former Manchester United and Everton star claiming Ibrahima Konate was “thrown under the bus” by his club.

The defender conducted post-match media duties following the midweek defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, with Rooney, who was working as a pundit for Amazon Prime Video that same night, suggesting Konate looked uncomfortable.

The post-match interviews were shared on Sunday, though following Liverpool’s dramatic win over Everton in the Merseyside derby, with Arne Slot’s side taking bragging rights from the first-ever meeting between the two sides at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Goalscorers Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah conducted a post-match interview together for Sky Sports, while the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai, Andy Robertson and substitute goalkeeper Freddie Woodman also spoke to the media.

Rooney was much happier to see the duties shared among Liverpool’s squad, with the ex-England international feeling as though Konate had been hard done by during the week.

“It was nice to see Van Dijk and Salah doing the interview after the game,” Rooney told BBC Sport.

Ibrahima Konate in action for Liverpool against Everton(Image: Getty Images)

“I thought Konate got thrown under the bus a little bit after the Champions League game. We’ve never really seen him speak, and he struggled in that interview.

“In fairness to Van Dijk, he does a lot of interviews and he normally fronts up. But we very rarely see Salah. It was nice to see them two getting the plaudits…”

Rooney added: “Normally, you have a group of leaders who do the interviews when you know it is going to be tough, or you’ve been knocked out of a cup. I’m not blaming Van Dijk or Salah.

“It might be the manager or the press officer to put Konate up after the PSG game. He really struggled and I thought it was poor from Liverpool to put him up. Normally, that is where the leaders come out. I felt Konate shouldn’t have been the one.”

Rooney also paid tribute to Salah, who was left visibly emotional after scoring in his final Merseyside derby before he leaves Liverpool this summer.

“I have got so much respect for Mo Salah,” Rooney said. “Over his career at Liverpool, he has been fantastic.

"You would expect him to score goals. It is hard on derby day when he scores, but his legacy cannot be denied."