Virgil van Dijk accuses ex-footballers of attempting to bring Liverpool down

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has accused former footballers of wanting to bring his side down with their punditry

Image of Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk

Liverpool grabbed their first UEFA Champions League victory of the season, defeating Dutch club Ajax 2-1 in their second group stage match.

The must-win game against Ajax helped the Premier League side bounce back from an embarrassing 4-1 loss to Italian side Napoli last week, providing some relief to the players.

Following the victory, Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk accused ex-footballers working as pundits of attempting to undermine them with their speeches.

"It is funny, there are a lot of ex-football players, and they know what we go through, but they say a lot of things to try and get us down," Virgil Dijk said after the victory against Ajax.

The 31-year-old Dutch defender said the Reds would not be distracted by their talks but focus on getting back on track. "Don't listen to the world. That is the most important thing," he added.

Liverpool are enduring their worst start to the season since Jurgen Klopp took charge of the Anfield club, winning only two of their six opening English Premier League games.

The Reds, who finished second in the Premier League last season, one point behind English Champions Manchester City, and won the FA Cup and EFL Cup, have struggled to replicate their previous season's success.

Despite adding new players to their squad this season, including Uruguay-born center forward Darwin Núñez, one of Europe's most sought-after strikers, they have failed to hit the ground running.

After the defeat against Napoli, Liverpool's manager, Jürgen Klopp, revealed that he had devised a new approach to solve their current issue, which may have helped them grab a victory against Ajax.

The victory may be a huge relief to Klopp, who previously stated that he was not concerned about being fired after Thomas Tuchel's surprise departure from Stamford Bridge.

The German, who has been dealt with numerous injuries this season, expects to have some of his players back before their next Premier League match against Brighton next month, after their weekend game against Chelsea was canceled due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Klopp hopes for a second consecutive win when they face Brighton at Anfield to help his team build momentum for challenges. ahead