“You’re finished”.. Rooney sends a harsh message to Mohamed Salah and specifies the date of Van Dijk's “fall”

English football legend Wayne Rooney believes that Egyptian star Mohamed Salah has exhausted his energy and lost his usual physical sparkle due to his advancing age. Rooney warned that Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool's captain, will soon face the same fate. Accordingly, Manchester United's all-time leading scorer believes that the decline in the duo's performance marks the end of a golden era at "Anfield". These statements come at a sensitive time, coinciding with Salah's impending departure from the ranks of "the Reds" at the end of the current season.

Goal-scoring decline and struggle with age factor

Firstly, Mohamed Salah is going through one of his toughest seasons with Liverpool under the leadership of coach Arne Slot. The Egyptian scorer has only managed to score 7 goals in the English Premier League this season, a number far from his previous legendary rates. Furthermore, Salah has lost his guaranteed place in the starting lineup in many matches. On the other hand, Rooney believes that the age factor has finally caught up with the 33-year-old. Certainly, this decline is evident in the Egyptian star's inability to match the speed and strength of defenders as he always used to do.

Leadership crisis and Van Dijk's impact at Liverpool

In addition, Rooney directed similar criticism at the Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk, asserting that he is no longer the unyielding rock. Furthermore, Rooney explained that the decline in the performance of leaders within the dressing room negatively affects the entire team system. Once leaders' confidence in their physical abilities wavers, it becomes difficult for young players to take the initiative. Accordingly, the England legend believes that Liverpool needs to inject new blood capable of on-field leadership, away from the names that have started to lose their sparkle.

Rooney's personal experience and his advice to Salah

On the other hand, Rooney cited his bitter personal experience at Manchester United when he started losing his place to Zlatan Ibrahimović. He stated that he accepted the bitter truth and immediately left the club when he realized his legs were starting to betray him. Certainly, Rooney believes that "the hardest thing for a player is to admit a decline in their performance." As a result, he advised Salah and Van Dijk to accept reality and seek new challenges that suit their current abilities. In the end, history remains a testament to Salah's achievements, but the language of numbers in 2026 supports Rooney's harsh viewpoint.

Do you think Mohamed Salah is capable of responding to Rooney's criticisms in his next stop, or has "the train of age" truly reached its final station?