•Liverpool defender, Virgil van Dijk
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has called on former players turned pundits to show greater responsibility when commenting on young footballers, warning that harsh criticism can have serious mental health consequences.
Speaking to Sky Sports presenter Gary Neville, Van Dijk said punditry is increasingly becoming “clickbait,” with commentators making provocative statements without considering the impact on players who are constantly exposed to social media.
“For me personally, I can deal with it, but I’m a bit worried for the next generation,” Van Dijk said.
He stressed that criticism is a normal part of football and should remain, but added that it sometimes crosses a line when it becomes deliberately provocative.
“Sometimes criticism also goes into being clickbait, saying things to provoke things, and without thinking about the repercussions for the mental side of players,” he said.
Van Dijk highlighted how young players often check social media after good performances, but can be deeply affected by negative comments and online bullying following a poor game.
“I’ve seen that in certain players in the past, and currently as well, because it’s just not easy,” he said.
This is not the first time the Liverpool defender has raised the issue. In November, he criticised Wayne Rooney for “lazy criticism” after the former England captain said Liverpool’s poor form was due to a lack of leadership. Van Dijk later revisited the comments when both men appeared pitchside on Amazon Prime following Liverpool’s Champions League win against Real Madrid.
The issue of punditry has also been highlighted by recent comments about Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez. Former United players Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt suggested that Manchester City striker Erling Haaland would dominate Martinez in the build-up to the Manchester derby. Martinez later said pundits “can talk on the television” but would not say those things to his face.
Van Dijk warned that the problem could worsen as social media continues to grow. “It’s going to get worse and worse, because the platforms nowadays, with the clickbait and the headlines, everyone is on it constantly,” he said. He urged former top players to use their platform responsibly and to protect younger players from unnecessary scrutiny.
“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.
“That’s something maybe to look at.
“I feel like the ex-top players have a responsibility to the new generation. Criticism is absolutely normal and part of the game, and I think it should stay that way.
“But sometimes criticism also goes into being clickbait, saying things to provoke things, and without thinking about the repercussions for the mental side of players, and especially the younger generation, who are constantly on social media. You can say, ‘yeah, you shouldn’t be on social media’ – that’s what I’ve mentioned [to them] loads of times.
“There is always this thing of when you play a good game, younger players check all the positive praises, but 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. I’ve seen that in certain players in the past, and currently as well, because it’s just not easy,” Van Dijk said.
With the use of social media ever-growing, the 34-year-old added, “It’s going to get worse and worse, because the platforms nowadays, with the clickbait and the headlines, everyone is on it constantly.
“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.
“That’s something maybe to look at.”
