Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah announced earlier this week he would be leaving the club at the end of the season, following nine years at the Reds. Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has kind words about the Egyptian as he stated he’s an ‘all-time great.’
The German manager signed Salah from Serie A side Roma in 2017. The two were pivotal to Liverpool’s rise under Klopp, which saw them lift several major trophies, including the Premier League and Champions League.
Liverpool could potentially miss out on the Champions League this season, so the Reds’ supporters will be hoping the 33-year-old can continue to score goals at Anfield before the farewell.
Klopp’s praise for Salah
Salah’s signing at Liverpool is widley viewed as the turning point for Liverpool, where fans truly changed from doubters to believers.
By the end of his first season on Merseyside, the Egyptian broke the Premier League golden boot record and fired Liverpool to their first Champions League final since 2007.
The following year, they would lift the trophy in Madrid, where Salah scored a penalty against Tottenham in the final.
Since then, the forward has gone on to win another eight trophies for the club, with potentially to add more this season.
Klopp said he was proud to be part of Salah’s journey, as the Egyptian has continued to show the way for other players.
“He is an incredible professional; he set completely new standards for professional football players. How hard you can work; how much you can invest in recovery and everything.”
The 58-year-old continued.
“When all is said, an all-time great. Definitely and without a shadow of a doubt, and I’m really proud of being a part of that career.”
In Salah’s video, where he announced he would depart Anfield in the summer, he said: “I wanted to start by saying that I never imagined how deeply this club, this city, these people would become part of my life.”
Klopp also believes that for as much as he was special to the club, the club was just as special to him.
“Of course, he’s different (Salah), but it would take too long to tell everybody how different Mo was. You all saw it, you all can see it still, and he knows that this was and is the perfect club for him, and he was the perfect player for us.”
Liverpool’s greatest PL player of all time?
Following the Liverpool forward’s announcement, there has been a lot of discussion about Salah in the club’s all-time ranking.
At this moment in time, the 33-year-old is currently third for Liverpool’s all-time top goalscorer and fifth for total assists.
In the Premier League era, the only real challenger to Salah’s crown is former captain Steven Gerrard.
While the scouser doesn’t have as much silverware as the two-time African player of the year, he played during a time when Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea all dominated the league.
Both of their achievements for the club go further than numbers, as their passion and desire to win for the club is there for everyone to see.
Salah defined an era under Klopp, which helped Liverpool restore their former glory days and reach the top of European football once again.
As his time at Anfield draws to a close, Liverpool are losing a modern day icon, someone who will be remembered fondly as one of the best Premier League footballers of all time.
