Virgil van Dijk: Pundits have ‘duty of responsibility’ to new generation of players and shouldn’t ‘bully’ them
Van Dijk calls on pundits to consider mental health impact of their comments
- Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk believes pundits have a “duty of responsibility” towards the new generation of footballers.
- He expressed concern that the pursuit of “clickbait” criticism and social media virality could negatively impact the mental well-being of younger players.
- Van Dijk, who previously confronted pundit Wayne Rooney over critical comments, stated that while he can handle scrutiny, younger players are more vulnerable.
- He urged former professional players to consider the repercussions of their comments on players' mental health, especially given constant social media exposure.
- While acknowledging Liverpool's deserved criticism for their recent performance, Van Dijk differentiated between constructive criticism and 'disrespect'.
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