Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has reacted to Mohamed Salah winning the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award.
The Reds forward was confirmed as the winner on Thursday night, which was the second time in his career that he has won the award. Salah was up against Liverpool team-mates Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane for the award, as well as Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Kane and Kevin De Bruyne.
It was the second time in his career that Salah has won the award, following his success in 2018. The Egyptian finished last season with 31 goals in all competitions, winning the Premier League Golden Boot and achieving the most assists in the same season.
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During the broadcast of the awards, Klopp took part in an interview to speak about Salah’s success. The German reflected on the season Salah has had, as well as providing an insight into the forward’s attitude in training.
“What I really love about this prize is that it’s voted for by the players,” Klopp told the PFA. “That’s the one prize that you should be interested in.
“Whatever the supporters say. Your own supporters always say ‘you’re the great’ and all the others say ‘how can he win it’.
“So in Mo’s case it’s the numbers, scoring goals. But scoring the most goals and having the most assists, with all the ups and down from a season and all the things I know about football, that’s a deserved win.”
Klopp added: “I saw that [how Salah could improve] when we scouted him and I saw a lot of videos of Mo, and he was not the finishing monster that we see now.
“I was incredibly excited about the chance to work with him. Yes, we spoke, that was a very good talk. But we all need longer to know about a person.
“The moment I knew it would be outstanding was when I knew him as a person. Because he’s full of desire, he never stops developing and he’s a workhorse.
“I know we say it a lot but he’s really the first in [training] - maybe Millie [James Milner] beats him from time to time - and he’s the last out.
“So treatment, gym work, all these kinds of things. On the pitch, if you tell Mo because of the intensity of the games ‘Mo, you go in now. Thank you very much’. [He says] ‘I’m good, I’m good’.
“So he deserves it absolutely, and that’s why he’s the second time winner of this wonderful trophy. Well deserved, Mo, by the way!”
