Jamie Carragher has come out with a bold claim that only one Premier League attacker eclipses Mohamed Salah at his Liverpool best, when speaking on the Egyptian’s sudden exit.
Liverpool fans waking up this morning would have been hit with a heavy dose of realism, as the news that Salah would be exiting at Anfield this season suddenly became very real.
Thinking of a modern-day Liverpool lineup without Salah in it feels strange, with the 33-year-old now up to a staggering 435 appearances for the Merseyside giants.
255 goals and 122 assists have also fallen into his lap, with Salah undoubtedly going down as one of the Premier League’s very best in attack, in the modern era, when he does officially leave.
Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher, who is regarded as a hall-of-famer at Anfield, as well, has weighed in with his thoughts as to who, over the years, has rivalled the one-time Champions League winner, in full flow in the top-flight.
The former PL star who doesn’t eclipse Salah
Writing in his column for the Telegraph, Carragher has declared that the Premier League “will soon be deprived of [a] world-class, generational talent” when Salah exits.
Amazingly, the ex-centre-back has stated that the likes of Eden Hazard, Dennis Bergkamp and Eric Cantona – who are all top-flight greats in their own right – all fall to the wayside, when being compared next to the magical number 11.
Even more startlingly, the Anfield legend has stated that, while Cristiano Ronaldo obviously went on to be a world-beater at Real Madrid, Salah has the Saudi Pro League superstar beaten in terms of their jaw-dropping ability in the Premier League alone.
Ronaldo registered a mightily impressive 103 goals for Manchester United across two stints, but his numbers pale in comparison to Salah’s 255-goal spell, as he made the daunting Premier League his playground at times.
There is just one attacker that has the “extraordinary” Salah beaten, according to Carragher, and that’s his regular pundit on CBS in Thierry Henry.
How Henry eclipses Salah
Much like the 33-year-old will always be instantly recognisable as a memorable Liverpool star, Henry is still synonymous to this day with Arsenal’s glory years.
175 goals and 79 assists would fall into the revered Frenchman’s lap in North London, from 258 games, as the lethal striker always knew how to trouble the defenders he was coming up against.
Carragher has offered his reasoning behind placing Henry, just above Salah, in his attacking rankings, with the one-time Barcelona ace just eclipsing his Egyptian counterpart in terms of consistency and output.
He said: “In the pantheon of overseas attacking players to have excelled in England, only Thierry Henry eclipses Salah’s output and consistency.”
This is partly why the ageing attacker is heading for the exit door, now, at Anfield, as he has only been able to bag five Premier League goals this season, as he begins to lose his fearful nature.
He will still be heralded as one of the very best to grace the intimidating division, though, with Liverpool fans no doubt contesting Carragher’s final judgement.
