Van Dijk takes aim at ‘provoking’ punditry from ex-pros
Virgil van Dijk has used a Sky Sports interview with Gary Neville to call out the way modern criticism of footballers is delivered, with the Liverpool captain warning that the next generation will feel the consequences most.
The Netherlands centre-back, now 34, spoke ahead of Super Sunday’s trip to Manchester City, and Van Dijk did not just defend himself.
Virgil van Dijk framed it as a wider responsibility for former top players, managers, and anyone using a microphone to shape the narrative around young professionals.
“For me personally, I can deal with it, but I’m a bit worried for the next generation,” Virgil van Dijk told Neville, before adding that ex-players “have a responsibility to the new generation”.
Virgil van Dijk accepts that criticism is part of football, and there is no attempt to play the victim here.
The Liverpool skipper’s issue is when analysis slides into provocation, and when headlines are designed to travel rather than to tell the truth.
“Criticism is absolutely normal and part of the game, and I think it should stay that way,” Virgil van Dijk said, before warning that some criticism becomes “clickbait, saying things to provoke things” without considering “the repercussions for a mental side of players”.
Van Dijk: why pundit culture risks damaging young Liverpool players
Virgil van Dijk made a point that will resonate with anyone who has watched a young player’s confidence swing with the timeline.
The Dutch defender described how positive feedback gets consumed after good performances, but how quickly things can spiral when a mistake becomes content.
“When you have a worse game, and you’re getting bullied all over social media, or you’re getting bad criticism, it can really affect you,” our skipper said, adding that he has seen it happen in the past and in the present.
The Liverpool captain’s argument is that it is only getting louder, not calmer.
“It’s going to get worse and worse, because the platforms nowadays, with the clickbait and the headlines, everyone is on it constantly,” Virgil van Dijk added.
That is why our No.4 believes former elite professionals should protect the environment they helped build.
“I feel like especially the ex-pros, top players, who have been through everything as well, they have this responsibility of protecting a little bit of that side as well,” the Duthcman said.
Van Dijk defending Slot feels like a captain defending Liverpool
Virgil van Dijk has been here before, because earlier this season the Liverpool skipper had a back and forth with Wayne Rooney after criticism of our captain’s form.
That public exchange mattered because it showed Van Dijk is not interested in letting lazy narratives hang in the air, especially when they question effort or character rather than performance.
This time, the subject widened to Arne Slot and the current direction of the squad, with the 34-year-old acknowledging that results have invited criticism.
“Criticism for the season we are having is well-deserved because of the way we have been playing at times,” he said, before drawing the line.
“But you have criticism and you have disrespect,” and that distinction is the heart of what Liverpool’s captain is trying to protect.
Van Dijk also pointed out that Liverpool are not a club that typically panics.
“From what I know, Liverpool is not a club of making rash decisions and they trust the process,” the former Southampton player said, before stressing that Arne Slot deserves time and respect to make the work land.
For Liverpool fans, it is hard to disagree with the principle.
Our captain is asking for standards, because there is a difference between critique that improves football and noise that exists purely to travel.
Virgil van Dijk 2025/26 Premier League stats (via Sofascore)
| Category | Stat |
|---|---|
| Appearances (starts) | 24 (24) |
| Minutes | 2,160 |
| Clean sheets | 7 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Accurate passes per game (accuracy) | 71.4 (90%) |
| Long balls per game (accuracy) | 4.2 (51%) |
| Clearances per game | 7.8 |
| Aerial duels won per game (win rate) | 5.0 (77%) |
| Total duels won per game (win rate) | 6.2 (77%) |
| Errors leading to goal | 2 |
| Yellow cards | 3 |
These numbers are not perfect, because no season is, but they do underline that Virgil van Dijk is still playing every minute, still winning the battles that decide matches, and still speaking like a captain who understands what Liverpool should sound like.
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