Virgil Van Dijk speaking on player criticism and mental health
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has called on former players-turned-pundits to exercise responsibility when commenting on the performances of younger footballers.
Speaking to Sky Sports’ Gary Neville, Van Dijk highlighted the mental toll that harsh criticism can have, particularly in the age of social media, where players are constantly under scrutiny.
“For me personally, I can deal with it, but I’m a bit worried for the next generation,” the Dutch defender said.
Van Dijk pointed to a growing trend of pundit commentary veering into clickbait, saying things to provoke reactions without considering the consequences for players’ mental health.
“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,” Van Dijk added.
The 34-year-old highlighted how young players constantly engage with social media, exposing themselves to both positive praise and negative backlash.
“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,” he said.
Van Dijk believes ex-professionals have a duty to shield young players from unnecessary pressure while offering constructive insights.
“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,” he said.
This comes amid a broader debate in football over the influence of former stars’ punditry on current players’ confidence, with incidents involving Lisandro Martinez and Erling Haaland drawing attention to the effects of public commentary.
With social media only growing, Van Dijk’s message is clear: criticism is part of football, but protecting mental health, especially for young players, must also remain a priority.
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