VIRGIL'S PROBLEM WITH PUNDITS

LIVERPOOL captain Virgil van Dijk has told football pundits they have a "duty of responsibility" to younger players when they criticise performances.

- BY IAN PARKER

LIVERPOOL captain Virgil van Dijk has told football pundits they have a “duty of responsibility” to younger players when they criticise performances.

Van Dijk challenged former Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney after comments about his displays for Liverpool, and more recently United defender Lisandro Martinez has responded to criticism from Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt.

Van Dijk accepted criticism is inevitable but said ex-players need to think about the impact they can have on the mental health of players - particularly younger professionals.