Virgil van Dijk hits out at Liverpool critics after…

Virgil van Dijk hits out at Liverpool critics after Ajax win and triggers Rio Ferdinand response

Virgil van Dijk believes it is critical Liverpool continue to shut out noise from the outside world following tonight's 2-1 win over Ajax, particularly views from former footballers.

Jurgen Klopp's side have come under intense criticism after a poor start to the 2022/23 season, with the team's worst display arriving one week ago in their Champions League group stage opener in Naples. It's a performance the Liverpool boss recently described as the worst match of his near seven-year stewardship, a conclusion few could have any complaints with.

But the Reds responded to this deeply disappointing display by securing a vital three points in Group A, courtesy of goals from Mohamed Salah and Joel Matip at Anfield.

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Van Dijk came close on a number of occasions during the contest and had a clear message to send when asked after the game if the players knew what they had to do to overcome recent form. "Not listening to the outside world, that's the most important thing," the Dutchman told BT Sport.

"It’s funny sometimes because there’s a lot of ex-football players and they know exactly what we go through, but they say a lot of things to try get us down," added Van Dijk. "We know that last week was unacceptable, very bad and we tried to make it right. This is a step in the right direction, but we don’t get carried away because we play so many games. Now we have to focus on the national teams and then crack on.

"They [Ajax] scored with their first chance. But coming back from the horror show in Naples, it was very important for us to show a positive reaction. It’s not easy to turn it around, but it’s a step in the right direction. There were some great moments and it was important to win today and get that good feeling going into the international break."

BT Sport pundit and former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand was then asked if he took public criticism to heart during his playing days, responding: "If I thought it was wrong or personal, then I’d get the hump. If it was deserved, I’ll hold my hands up and say. Thee performance in Naples, if they’re honest, every single one of them will say ‘It was a bad day at the office and we deserved the criticism that we got.' But I think we reiterated on the night, we weren't saying they became a bad team overnight or are bad players, it was a bad performance."

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