Jurgen Klopp has described Mohamed Salah as a “completely different animal” to the player he signed in 2017 and said the Egyptian is determined to improve again.
Salah will bring up 200 goals for Liverpool – a feat only four players have ever achieved – if he scores twice when they face league leaders Manchester City on Saturday.
And the Liverpool manager feels Salah is showing the work ethic to get better, while praising him for the way he has helped his fellow forward Darwin Nunez settle into life at Anfield and form a “pretty special partnership”.
“He can improve but that is all about consistency and little moments in games,” Klopp said. “He expects that. Why would he come and be first in the building every morning and the last out if he doesn’t want to improve? It is about gaining that experience over the years that he knows much more about the game.
“So, where is the position? He is a completely different player to the one who arrived here and he was good at that time, that’s why we signed him. Now his experience in dealing with different situation... he is a completely different animal.
“He is really good with his teammates, all the offensive players look up to him and he is really supportive to them. That is a really good connection. In the beginning, Mo had to be more for himself and find his feet and himself and the way to impress me and maybe prove some people wrong. That’s completed settled now. Having still this desire to score makes him the player he is and that is pretty special. I’ve said it a million times - long may it continue.”
Nunez joined Liverpool for £64m – which could rise to a club record £85m – in the 2022 and has struck up a fine understanding with Salah.
All nine of the Uruguayan’s assists have come for the Egyptian and Klopp believes it is a sign of their intelligence that they are combining so well.
He explained: “You cannot become a Liverpool player if you are not really football-smart. What would you do if you spring 900mph down the line and you look and think, who else has the same speed and [will] be in the right position? And it’s probably Mo.
“The other players are quick as well, but that’s why Darwin and Mo is clicking and they look for each other. It’s not that they cut out the other boys, it’s just a different way of playing.
“When we played with Bobby [Firmino] more centrally, I am not sure what the numbers are between Sadio [Mane] and Mo, but they were pretty good as well. They were the first two arriving in the box and if you want to pass the ball it is to probably to one of them.
“How Mo supports the boys, Darwin came here big expectations and Mo probably understood the situation probably the best and saw his potential and wanted to help him. Without having the longest conversations because of some language issues, that was for sure the start of a pretty special partnership.”
