Wayne Rooney believes Liverpool’s poor start to the season stems from a lack of leadership within the squad.

The defending Premier League champions have been on a difficult run, suffering four straight league defeats and slipping to seventh place, seven points adrift of leaders Arsenal.

Their latest setback — a 3-2 loss to Brentford on Saturday — came after defeats to Crystal Palace, Chelsea, and Manchester United, extending what has become a fruitless spell for Arne Slot’s side.

Liverpool have now become just the fourth reigning Premier League champions to lose four consecutive games.

Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, the five-time Premier League winner cited the poor attitude of Liverpool’s key figures, particularly captain Virgil van Dijk and star forward Mohamed Salah.

“No-one has seen this coming, it’s hit them quick, it’s hit them hard and I think they’re struggling to find a way out of it,” Rooney said.

“This is a time where the manager and the leaders in the team need to figure it out very quickly.”

Rooney questioned whether Van Dijk and Salah have truly stepped up as leaders this season, despite both recently committing their futures to the club.

Despite coming under scrutiny, Salah has netted three Premier League goals so far this season, including one on Saturday, making him Liverpool’s top scorer.

“Van Dijk and Salah, they’ve signed new deals but I don’t think they’ve really led that team this season,” he continued.

“I think body language tells you a lot, and I think we’re seeing slightly different body language from the two of them. They are the top two players in that team and if their body language is not right, that affects everyone else.

“I might be wrong on this, but if I was a Liverpool fan or the manager, that would be a big concern for me.”