Virgil van Dijk has hit back at Liverpool's critics while lauding Mohamed Salah's efforts for the Reds in what has been a difficult season for Jurgen Klopp's men.
The Egyptian netted his 30th goal of the season in Liverpool's 1-0 victory over Brentford on Saturday to keep their slim hopes of Champions League qualification alive. Currently fifth in the table, defeats for Manchester United and Newcastle United on Sunday leave them just a point off the top four, albeit having played a game more than both of the sides above them.
Salah's Anfield winner also saw him become the first Reds player to score in nine home games in a row, while it was his 186th goal for the club as he moved level with Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard in fifth-place in the club's all-time scoring charts.
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Meanwhile, the 30-year-old also leads the way in the way in terms of assists at Anfield this season, having set up 11 goals, while only Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, and Ivan Toney have scored more than his 19 Premier League goals this season.
With the Reds having three Premier League games left to play, a top four finish remains out of their hands. Yet if they do qualify against the odds, Salah's recent goalscoring form, having scored 13 goals in his last 17 games, will have been crucial.
Having hit the 30-goal mark in four of his six seasons at Anfield, and on the verge of breaking the 20-goal barrier in the Premier League for the fifth time in six years, Van Dijk believes Salah will get more respect for such consistency when his playing career comes to an end.
"Statistics show that (he is making history)and we shouldn't forget he's playing as a winger," Van Dijk told reporters. "And that's also quite rare to score so many goals in that position.
"There is so much work that goes in behind the scenes (at the AXA Training Centre), for Mo in this case. But it goes for a lot of players that nobody really sees.
"For him to be fit for 97% of the (Premier League and Champions League) games, that's maybe the most difficult thing along with staying consistent each and every game.
"I don't think there's anything to argue with that (Salah is an all-time great and his constant availability over six years is extraordinary). I don't think it's rare to say that.
"He is doing it consistently, even when we are struggling he has still found a way to be important for the team. Being consistent every three or four days, obviously you can have games where you don't score but you can reach that level, and also stay fit, that's the most difficult thing to do.
"People don't really speak about those kind of things too much, but maybe we should. On top of that, his numbers speak for themselves. In the world we live in nowadays, maybe the respect comes after he has stopped playing.
"But I don't think he cares about that anyway. He just wants to keep doing what he's doing and be important for the club. That's the main thing."
Meanwhile, Van Dijk also hit back at Liverpool's critics after the Reds extended their unbeaten run to eight games against Brentford, admitting the criticism Klopp's side have faced this year has been difficult to deal with.
"When things aren't going the right way then we are at the bottom in terms of criticism, and when things are going better we could be being praised to the skies or the heavens," he conceded. "It's about putting a lot of things into perspective.
"It has been a very challenging season mentally as well for each one of us, the manager as well and anyone connected with the club. But it's how you deal with it.
"So far we have been dealing with it in the right way and hopefully we can win the remaining games and take that good feeling into next season and get back to where we want to be."
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