Jurgen Klopp insisted that Mo Salah is still striving to improve for Liverpool – and is a ‘completely different animal’ to the player who arrived six years ago.
Two goals from Salah will take the Reds one step closer to reaching 200 goals in club history as they take on Manchester City today. On the Anfield all-time scoring charts, he is ranked fifth.
Salah has a track record of making exceptions when playing City. With 11 goals against the champions, Liverpool’s chances of winning today’s Premier League top-of-the-table match at the Etihad Stadium appear promising.
Salah, signed from AS Roma in 2017, has also taken on a key leadership role behind the scenes at Anfield – having previously been more selfish by Klopp’s admission. And to maintain his insatiable appetite to score makes him ‘pretty special’.
Klopp, speaking at his pre-match press conference, said: “Of course, he can improve but that’s all about then consistency and little moments in games, it would be a shame if he is not 43 and that we ask for that! He expects it from him.
“Why would he come and be the first in the building every morning and the last one going out if he doesn’t want to improve? Yeah, of course he can. But it’s really not about that. It’s about [that] he gained that experience over the years that he knows much more about the game, so where are the positions, where is that. Obviously a completely different player to the boy who arrived here – and he was good at that time, that’s why we signed him.
“But now the experience in dealing with different situations, he’s a completely different animal actually. He’s really good with his team-mates. All the offensive players look up to him, but he’s really supportive to them and that’s a really good connection. That’s something.
“In the beginning Mo had to be more for himself to find his feet himself and find a way to impress me, to impress everybody, to prove everybody wrong maybe, and stuff like this. That’s now completely settled. And having still this desire to score, that makes him the player that he is and that’s pretty special. I’ve said it probably a million times: long may it continue.”
