Mohamed Salah will leave Liverpool with only Thierry Henry ahead of him in the Premier League’s pantheon of great overseas players, according to Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher.
Liverpool announced on Tuesday night that Salah would leave the club at the end of the season after reaching an agreement to release him as a free agent a year early.
Salah has won every top trophy during his nine years at Anfield and Carragher said the forward’s impending departure “marks the end of an unusual era” for his former club.
A year after Kevin De Bruyne left Manchester City for Napoli, the Sky Sports pundit added that the Premier League “will soon be losing a generational world-class talent”.
No player has scored more goals and provided more assists than Salah (189+92) in the Premier League since his £34m move from Roma in 2017, but Carragher believes he has surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo’s achievements in the competition.
“In the pantheon of overseas attacking players who played for England, only Thierry Henry surpasses Salah’s performance and consistency,” Carragher wrote in a column for the Telegraph.
“Many will argue the merits of players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Eden Hazard, Gianfranco Zola, Dennis Bergkamp and Eric Cantona, but no player has produced the same incredible numbers season after season as the Egyptian.
“Ronaldo’s time at Manchester United, both first and after his return, was during one of his absolute Real Madrid peaks. If we strictly judge his performances and influence in the Premier League, Salah is ahead of him. Salah is an automatic front three alongside Henry and Ronaldo in the best XI in the history of the Premier League.”
Where does Salah rank among Liverpool’s greatest players?
Salah is the club’s third-highest scorer behind Ian Rush and Roger Hunt and will leave Liverpool as one of Anfield’s most successful players in the Premier League era.
The Egyptian player has won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup twice.
Carragher believes the 33-year-old should be considered one of the greatest players to have ever played for Liverpool.
“I recently realized the true measure of Salah’s greatness,” Carragher said. “Just a few days ago, my old club asked me to name Liverpool’s top 10 greatest players.
“The usual suspects – Steven Gerrard, Sir Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness, John Barnes and Ian Rush – formed the core of my top picks.
“The biggest compliment I can give Salah is that he was the name that immediately followed them on that list.”
“Salah was a coach who inspired Klopp.”
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Sky Sports News’ Kabe Solhekor answers some of the key questions regarding Mohamed Salah’s announcement of his departure from Liverpool
Salah formed part of Liverpool’s devastating attacking trio alongside Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, defining an era at the club under former manager Jurgen Klopp.
The German manager was appointed in 2015 to rebuild Liverpool following the sacking of Brendan Rodgers.
Fueling Liverpool’s resurgence was the £34 million signing of Salah from Roma in 2017, with Salah scoring 32 goals in his first season to win the Premier League Golden Boot.
Salah has been a key player for Liverpool, winning all the top accolades under Klopp, and Carragher believes the pair will be “forever synonymous” to end the club’s 35-year league title wait.
“If Klopp was the charismatic, visionary stage manager, Salah was the inspirational protagonist,” said the Sky Sports pundit. “His prolific goalscoring has lifted Liverpool to heights that many feared they would never reach again, especially given the club’s position when he arrived in 2017.
“Alongside the equally talented Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, Salah formed part of one of the most destructive and effective attacking trios in Premier League history.”
Carragher added: “Aside from his prolific goalscoring ability and speed, there is another, more underrated quality that should always be remembered when discussing Salah’s rightful place among the greats.
“That’s an extraordinary amount of appearances for him. Over nine seasons at the highest level, Salah has made 435 appearances, which equates to an average of just over 48 games each year for his club. This is an extraordinary figure considering that he and his team have played with relentless physical and mental intensity for most of that time.”
There’s nothing more memorable than a world-class soccer player who never misses a game. In Salah’s case, he would be visibly unhappy if he was substituted and had to miss even a minute. Such expressions of anger were often frowned upon by others.
“But give me a star who can’t bear to sit on the bench or in the stands and crumple a little over players who can’t get off the field fast enough. That hunger and resilience are the hallmarks of true greatness.”
Why Cara doesn’t want to take part in the farewell at Anfield
Salah’s last appearance at Anfield, against Brentford in the Premier League on May 24, is likely to be his last in a Liverpool shirt.
However, Carragher has his sights set on a farewell match with Salah, with Liverpool still in the Chamions League facing holders Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals.
Speaking about parting ways with Salah on the final day of the Premier League, Carragher said: “All Liverpool fans have something better, more dramatic in their hearts.”
“Knowing Salah’s mindset and competitive spirit, he will set his sights on the best possible farewell in a week’s time, leading his team to victory in the Champions League final in Budapest.
“Don’t bet on a perfect exit.”
