Wayne Rooney on Liverpool 12:30 kick-offs: Van Dijk should get on with it!

Liverpool face West Ham in the Premier League's early kick-off on Saturday having played in the Merseyside Derby against Everton on Wednesday night. 

It will be their SIXTH early kick-off of the season, the same number as they played last season, and their fifth away from home.

No team has played as often away from home in the Saturday 12:30 slot than the Reds have in the past two campaigns, and it has become a bugbear of Jurgen Klopp in particular that they find themselves scheduled there so often.

The Reds are coming off the back of a dismal derby defeat after Everton beat them comprehensively, 2-0, in the Toffees' first Goodison Park derby win since 2010.

Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored the goals for the relegation contenders, leaving Liverpool three points behind Arsenal with only four games remaining. Manchester City, meanwhile, remain a point behind the Reds but boast two games in hand.

Liverpool's season has fallen in on itself in recent weeks, with elimination from the Europa League being confirmed by Atalanta, after the side were already knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester United.

Recent Premier League reverses against Crystal Palace and Everton, meanwhile, have all but ended Klopp's chances of signing off as Liverpool manager with another title.

Rooney says Reds should get on with it

Following the game, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk fronted up to the Sky Sports cameras and also bemoaned the fact his side would be on the road again so soon after the derby.

"It's time to focus on the 12:30 kick-off again," he said. "These games are always a big fight and something that we shouldn't have lost in my opinion. Now we have to pick ourselves up and be ready for an early kick-off Saturday."

Wayne Rooney, the ex-Everton striker who is also Man Utd's all-time leading goalscorer, was in the Sky Sports studio in a punditry role alongside ex-Reds Daniel Sturridge and Jamie Carragher.

The former England captain had little sympathy for Van Dijk's complaints, urging the Dutchman and his team to move on quickly.

"Again we're hearing about 12:30 kick-offs after he's just lost the derby," Rooney said. "That Liverpool team should be wanting to be on the pitch tomorrow. We've heard it many times from Liverpool this season. Get on with it, it's part of the job."