Ian Rush believes that Mohamed Salah is the best footballer in the world right now and can help fire Liverpool to an historic quadruple this season.
Salah has scored 32 goals in all competitions this season, complimented by 15 assists - a record that saw him crowned Football Writers' Football of the Year last week. The Egyptian has the opportunity to add multiple team honours to his personal achievement when the Reds face Chelsea in the FA Cup final on May 14, before attempting to wrestle the Premier League crown from Manchester City and then going head-to-head with Real Madrid in the Champions League Final on May 28.
Anfield goal-scoring legend Rush, is in no doubt that Salah is setting the world standard currently and can lead Jurgen Klopp's side to glory in the coming weeks.
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Speaking to William Hill, Rush said: “He's absolutely incredible to watch. The last two or three years, he’s just got better and better. It’s no surprise to see him win the FWA award, he deserves it. He has this thing where he wants to improve all the time, he keeps himself incredibly fit and the way he conducts himself off the pitch is amazing as well. In the last 10-15 years people have been talking about (Cristiano) Ronaldo and (Lionel) Messi and rightly so. But he wants to be the best in the world and in my opinion this year Mo is the best player in the world. He’s always improving, he’s 29 now so he wants to improve. He keeps himself fit which is something in his favour.
“He’s also not just a goalscorer now – when he first arrived people thought, ‘he can score goals’. I think he’s scored 32 goals this season, but I think he's the top assist-maker with 15 goals too. When you can add that, that’s how he’s improving. But it’s not just his overall play, he’s improving when he hasn’t got the ball. When he’s got the ball we all know what he can do, but when he hasn’t got the ball he’s improved a tremendous amount.”
Kop hero Rush knows all about finding the net for Liverpool, having scored 346 goals in 660 games for the Reds in two trophy-laden stints at Anfield. But the Welshmen believes Salah is good enough to slot straight into any Liverpool side of the past, including the ultra-successful teams of the 80s.
Rush said: “Great players can play in great teams, no matter what the era, that’s what I always say. It doesn’t matter who you are, it’s the football brain you have. And he would have fit into our Liverpool team straight away. All legends, no matter what era, it’s about their football brain and they would adapt to the present day. And Mo would adapt to the way we played and that’s what makes him so special.”
With the Carabao Cup already won, the Reds can make it a hat-trick of cup wins this month with victories in the FA Cup final and Champions League final, but Rush has fired a word of warning when it comes to Real Madrid in the latter. He said: “It's great to get to any final but to get to the Champions League final… Most people probably didn’t expect Real Madrid, most people probably expected Manchester City. But it’s Real Madrid, they beat us a few years ago, so I think it’s a bit of payback time.
“It’s going to be a very tight game. When you look at Real Madrid, they’ve been down in so many games – Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City. They’re a team that never gives up so nothing is going to surprise me in this game. I think there will be goals in it. But if we go 2-0, 3-0 up, don’t take things for granted as we’ve seen what Real Madrid can do - they are the comeback kings.”
Despite the former Welsh international's caution over facing Madrid, Rush was full of praise for the current Liverpool side and their manager in what has been an unprecedented season for the Red half of Merseyside.
He added: “It’s absolutely fantastic. When you look at the season Liverpool have had, not just in all competitions, but the way they play, the way they play is a joy to watch. When I go to Liverpool I keep on thinking, ‘it can’t be the same’, but it is. They keep on winning. Two finals to come, they’ve still got a chance to win the league. If you’re a Liverpool fan you’ve got to be really excited.
“I think every Liverpool fan is just happy Jurgen Klopp has extended his contract. Like he says, he doesn’t talk about himself, he talks about his coaching staff as well. It reminds me of the modern-day ‘Boot Room’. In the 1980s we had Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, Ronnie Moran, Roy Evans – so it’s more of an updated version of the ‘Boot Room’. He’s the first to give them congratulations when they do well. They work well as a team.”
