Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool has come under fire from Alan Shearer for his recent remarks about playing in too many games.
After publicly stating that elite players are simply playing way too much football, the commentator slammed the £75 million star on the podcast The Rest is Football.
Although Van Dijk is not alone in calling for a shorter football season, Shearer thinks the Liverpool defender is whining about nothing.
When questioned about Van Dijk’s remarks, the Match of the Day analyst responded, “Nonsense. Are football players playing it too much? What. Come on, I mean.
“I know you shouldn’t mention the money but they have bigger squads than ever, more substitutes than ever and they are getting paid more money than ever.
“You have the best physios, the best technology, the best of everything. Do me a favour!”
Shearer ought to know better than to back Van Dijk of Liverpool.
In recent years, it appears that player wellbeing has been neglected as organisations like UEFA and FIFA find ever-new methods to fill the football calendar.
While a professional complaining about playing too much may seem extravagant, the number of injuries that elite clubs are currently dealing with speak for itself, with Liverpool being no stranger to such an issue.
Since quality players like the Liverpool captain play more football than is possibly necessary, Shearer should know better than to defend Van Dijk rather than disparage him.