Virgil van Dijk Urges Responsibility Among Pundits to Protect Young Players’ Mental Health

Virgil van Dijk has expressed concern that the opinions of pundits and reactions on social media can significantly impact the mental health of younger football players.

The Liverpool captain stated that former players turned pundits have a “duty of responsibility” towards the new generation of footballers when assessing their performances. In a discussion with Sky Sports’ Gary Neville, Van Dijk noted that some commentary veers into “clickbait” territory, where provocative statements are made without considering the mental repercussions for players.

“Personally, I can handle it, but I am concerned for the upcoming generation,” Van Dijk conveyed to Neville.

This is not the first time Van Dijk has addressed this issue this season. In November, he criticized Wayne Rooney for attributing Liverpool’s poor form to a lack of leadership, labeling it as “lazy criticism.” He revisited the topic shortly after during a pitchside appearance on Amazon Prime, following Liverpool’s 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League.

The scrutiny of punditry intensified last month when former Manchester United players Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt made remarks about current Red Devils defender Lisandro Martinez. Ahead of the Manchester derby at Old Trafford, Butt suggested that City striker Erling Haaland would treat Argentine Martinez like a “little toddler,” while Scholes implied that Haaland would “throw him in the net” after scoring.

In response, Martinez remarked that pundits “can talk on television,” but “no one says anything” directly to players.

Van Dijk reiterated, “I believe that ex-top players have a responsibility to the new generation. Criticism is a normal part of the game and should remain so. However, sometimes it crosses into clickbait territory, where statements are made to provoke without considering the mental effects on players, especially younger ones who are constantly engaged on social media.

“It’s easy to say, ‘You shouldn’t be on social media’—I’ve told them that many times. Still, after a good game, younger players check for positive feedback, but when their performance falters, they face bullying online and harsh criticism, which can have serious effects. I’ve witnessed this in several players, both in the past and currently, because it is just not easy to handle.”

As social media continues to grow, the 34-year-old defender cautioned, “It will only get worse, as the prevalence of clickbait and sensational headlines increases. I feel that particularly the former professionals, who have experienced similar challenges, bear the responsibility to safeguard this sensitive aspect of the game. This is certainly something worth considering.”