Jurgen Klopp has insisted that Mo Salah cannot be compared to players the same age as him because the Egyptian has a body of someone much younger.
Mo Salah had to settle for a spot on the bench as Liverpool defeated Toulouse at Anfield last night but was introduced as a late substitute and completed the Reds’ 5-1 rout with a tidy finish inside the box.
The strike means the 31-year-old now holds the record for the most goals scored by a player from an English club in European competition and Klopp believes there’s a lot more to come from the ex-Roma man.
“Mo doesn’t behave like that [he is 31] at all,” the German told reporters (via Daily Star). “Off the pitch he behaves is a grown man, beyond that he is still a young player. He is top fit I think if we were to scan him the majority of the bones are aged 19 or 20! He just keeps himself in such good shape.
“It is to do with game understanding. They all know an awful lot about football when they finish their careers at the age of 35, but the earlier in their career you get this information the more useful they are.
“Obviously with Mo it is clear he understands the spaces much better, he knows how players react around him and then if he cannot score, he can still be a threat for us. I cannot compare Mo to other 30 year olds, because I don’t think biologically he is!”
Salah does appear to get fitter and fitter each campaign. He may now be the wrong side of 30 but he’s still in tip top condition and is constantly available for selection.
His current deal is running until the summer of 2025 but after being the subject of huge interest from the Saudi Pro League during the summer window, it remains to be seen whether they will return again with an offer next year.
With our No. 11 still at the peak of his powers it would be a shame to see him leave the Premier League but we’ll just have to see if the finances on offer in the Middle East are too good to turn down.
A lot of other players tend to wind down once they get to Salah’s age, especially when they’ve won it all like him, but there’s still plenty left in the tank and we look forward to seeing him shine further this season.
#Ep94 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones🎙️