Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has hailed Mohamed Salah after the Reds star announced he would be leaving the club at the end of the season.
Salah revealed earlier this week that his nine-year Anfield career will be coming to an end in the summer, two years after Klopp quit as manager after seven years of working with the Egyptian.
Klopp is in England to take part in a charity game between Liverpool and Dortmund legends at Anfield on Saturday, and was speaking to The Anfield Wrap ahead of the game, when he was asked about Salah.
The German revealed that he and Salah texted earlier on in the week, and wished his former star well for the rest of the season, insisting: ‘I know he can only enjoy it if he wins and he scores. I really hope on the last match day you will all have a smile on your face and all be happy and thankful you were part of one of the most incredible careers we will be a part of.’
Speaking on working with Salah, who Klopp won a plethora of trophies with, including the Premier League and the Champions League, he added: ‘It was a joy, a challenge, it was hard work from both sides, it was an incredible outcome, it was pretty much everything.
‘I am pretty sure there was a day in Mo’s life where he dreamt of something like that – I couldn’t imagine that something like this is possible, the numbers he produced, the performances he showed, some of them will be unmatched forever.’
Jurgen Klopp (left) has given his verdict on Mohamed Salah’s (right) impending Liverpool exit
Salah played 349 games under Klopp at Liverpool, scoring 211 goals, having joined the club in the summer of 2017 when Klopp was rebuilding what was a fallen giant.
When he signed, he became first choice on the right wing, with his partner in crime Sadio Mane moving over to the left. The Egyptian, though, was worried about his potential place in the team, according to Klopp.
‘When we signed him, I remember he asked me where will I play,’ Klopp continued. ‘”Your position, right wing”. He said, “But Sadio Mane is playing there”. “Don’t you think he could play left wing?” “That’s for Coutinho”. He was really worried about if he would play.
‘Can you imagine Mo Salah today compared to that young man at the beginning of his real career?’
It was unclear what type of player Liverpool had signed when Salah arrived at Anfield for £36.5million from Roma, given he struggled at Chelsea in his first stint in the Premier League.
He improved at Fiorentina and Roma, though, and then went to a different level in red.
Reports at the time of Salah’s move suggested he wasn’t Klopp’s first choice, and that the former Liverpool boss instead wanted to sign his countryman, Julian Brandt. A number of fans have theorised how things would have played out had that happened, and Klopp has now had his say.
‘There is always a story that I wanted to sign Julian Brandt or someone like that,’ he said. ‘The situation with that is if you go for a winger, you talk to seven or eight.
Klopp worked with Salah for seven years before he himself left Liverpool two years ago
‘Yes we spoke to him, but we spoke to Salah. Whatever people think, I don’t care, but in the moment we were convinced he was the one, more convinced than he was in that moment. Maybe inside he was.
He added: ‘He was part of the best front three in world football for a long time.’
