Wayne Rooney has pointed to the effects of age on Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk as a primary factor behind Liverpool’s failure to defend their Premier League title in the 2025/26 season, offering a candid assessment of two of Anfield’s most decorated players.
Liverpool entered the current campaign as strong favourites to retain the league trophy following their success the previous season. However, the club has struggled to match those heights, with both Salah, 33, and van Dijk, 34, failing to consistently reproduce the performances that defined their peak years.
“I’ve been saying this since the start of the season: age takes its toll and eventually your legs give out,” Rooney stated. “I think that’s happened to Salah, and van Dijk isn’t the same player either. But they are the leaders in the dressing room, which makes it hard for others to step up.”
Rooney drew directly from his own playing career to frame his analysis, acknowledging the psychological difficulty of confronting personal decline as an athlete. “The hardest thing for a player is realising you’re no longer at the level you once were,” he reflected. He cited his final period at Manchester United in 2016, following the arrival of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, as a comparable turning point: “I wasn’t playing anymore, but I still wanted to play, so I moved on. I accepted it.”
Salah is widely expected to leave Anfield at the end of the current campaign, a departure that would parallel Rooney’s own return to boyhood club Everton after his time at Old Trafford. Van Dijk, by contrast, is anticipated to remain at Liverpool, with his contract running until 2027. Despite that, Rooney stopped short of endorsing the Dutchman’s continued presence unconditionally. “We’ve often seen players who have stayed too long,” he cautioned.
The critiques surrounding Salah and van Dijk this season reflect a broader transitional moment for Liverpool under manager Arne Slot, who took charge following Jürgen Klopp’s departure. Slot has already acknowledged Salah’s impending exit, with reports indicating the Egyptian will receive a formal send-off from the club at the end of the season. Van Dijk, who has captained the side through a turbulent campaign, remains a central figure in the squad despite questions over his form.
Rooney’s comments add to an ongoing debate about squad renewal at Liverpool. Salah, who joined the club from Roma in 2017, has registered over 230 goals across all competitions for the club and remains one of the Premier League era’s most prolific forwards. Van Dijk, signed from Southampton in January 2018 for a then-world-record fee for a defender, was instrumental in Liverpool’s 2019 Champions League and 2020 Premier League title wins.
With the summer transfer window approaching, Liverpool’s recruitment strategy is expected to focus heavily on addressing the gaps that will be left by departing senior players, as Slot looks to rebuild a squad capable of competing at the highest level next season.
