Virgil van Dijk proves Wayne Rooney wrong with ‘immediate’ action during Liverpool vs Crystal Palace

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Liverpool lost 3-0 to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup, and Arne Slot has shared what Virgil van Dijk did during the game. It goes against what Wayne Rooney has said.

Slot was criticised by fans after the Reds were handed a sixth loss in seven on Wednesday evening.

The Liverpool manager has defended his team selection against Crystal Palace, citing the blueprint used by Jurgen Klopp during his many years at Anfield.

A number of youngsters featured over the course of the 90 minutes, including Amara Nallo, who was shown a red card.

What Virgil van Dijk did for Amara Nallo during Liverpool vs Crystal Palace

It was only Nallo’s second senior appearance for the Reds, with the first coming against PSV in January when he was also sent off.

After the Palace defeat, Slot was asked about the 18-year-old’s dismissal live on Sky Sports.

The Dutchman went on to reveal that both Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, who were not selected but attended the game, ‘immediately’ followed Nallo down the tunnel to speak with him.

He said: “I didn’t need to say much. Ibou and Virgil went in immediately to talk to him. That tells me they are great human beings.”

The centre-backs’ actions highlight their great character, which, in Van Dijk’s case, has been questioned this season.

What Wayne Rooney said about Virgil van Dijk

Speaking on the latest episode of The Wayne Rooney Show this week, the former Manchester United striker questioned Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah’s leadership qualities.

He said: “This is a time where the manager and the leaders in the team need to figure it out very quickly.

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

“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.”

It’s easy to see why Rooney made that claim after the run of form Liverpool have been on.

But Van Dijk showed his leadership skills on Wednesday when he quickly went to comfort Nallo following another tough night for the young player.

With three tough fixtures – Aston Villa, Real Madrid and Manchester City – coming up, the centre-back will need to continue stepping up as a senior figure if Liverpool are to end their rut.