Liverpool icon Mohamed Salah has hinted that the level of professionalism at the club may have dipped ahead of his exit at the end of the season.
The 33-year-old is now in his final weeks as a Reds player, with a special send-off expected at home to Brentford on the final day on May 24th.
Salah isn’t only an elite talent but also one of the hardest-working players in Liverpool’s history, being known for his relentless gym work.
Speaking to Sky Sports [via This Is Anfield], he stressed the importance of other players making sure the standards remain high off the pitch when he is gone, hinting at concern that they won’t:
“I remember when I came here first, I think nobody was working before training. I remember Milly (James Milner), Sadio [Mane] and Adam [Lallana] were working after training. I came, I wanted to work before training and after training. I want to work all the time, then they also worked before training.
“I’m happy about it that new guys came and see Mo’s come into the building first and gone to the gym, so it automatically changed. This is something I’m very proud of, and something, if I’m being very honest because I love this place so much, I have my best years here, I want the guys to continue like that.
“I want to succeed, I want the club to be there, and this is one of the main concerns. I spoke to a member of staff and the guys up there, I told them when I leave you need an example, you need people to come early and go to the gym. If this doesn’t happen, it will be tricky for the club, because it’s very necessary you put the standard high.
“People have to come early, people have to go to the gym and look after themselves, and I don’t want that to change after I leave. I want that standard in the club, it’s very important for the team to keep winning things, and this is one of the main concerns for me.”
Should Liverpool fans be worried about Mo Salah’s comments?
Losing Salah is a blow for so many reasons, but the standards he has set over the last nine years are a huge loss in terms of how he looks after himself.
With Andy Robertson also leaving and Alisson potentially heading off to pastures new as well, there is suddenly going to be a big absence of leaders in Liverpool’s squad.
Virgil van Dijk remains, and he will be more important than ever for the next year or two, but it is up to others to step up and lead by example like Salah.
The likes of Ibrahima Konate and Dominik Szoboszlai stand out, with the pair in their mid-20s now, and Alexis Mac Allister and Curtis Jones are similar, should they both stay put this summer.
