Michael Owen pays tribute to Mohamed Salah's dedication after netting his 199th Liverpool goal - ‘He lives in the gym’
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Updated 01/12/2023 at 00:20 GMT
Michael Owen hailed Mohamed Salah’s dedication to his craft after netting his 199th Liverpool goal in a 4-0 win over LASK in the UEFA Europa League, while Joe Cole believes Luis Diaz could go on to match Salah as an all-time great for The Reds. The victory secures The Reds' place in the last 16 of the tournament as Group E winners and allows them a break until March in European competition.
'His consistency has been out of this world' - Owen hails 'model professional' Salah
Michael Owen hailed Mohamed Salah’s dedication to his craft after netting his 199th Liverpool goal in a 4-0 win over LASK, while Joe Cole believes Luis Diaz could go on to match the Egyptian as an all-time great for The Reds.
Diaz opened the scoring and Cody Gakpo struck twice as Liverpool secured top spot in Group E and a place in the last 16 of the UEFA Europa League.
Salah set up Gakpo’s first before firing home from the penalty spot to move within one goal of a double century for the club and his 13th of the season.
“It’s not going to be long until he hits another landmark. He’s just been an incredible player,” Owen said on TNT Sports.
“His consistency has been out of this world. In terms of his goals, his performances, his durability. He just doesn’t ever get injured. He lives in the gym, he’s so dedicated - he’s a model professional for anyone to look at.”
TNT Sports pundit Raphael Honigstein was full of praise for Salah after the match.
“We are all used to his brilliance that when he scores 18 or 19 or whatever it is again this season we just kind of take it for granted,” said Raphael Honigstein.
“He has a habit of not being involved for 90 minutes in the game. He comes up with moments every single game.”
Diaz has someway to go to match the legacy Salah has left at Anfield, but Cole believes the Colombia international will go on to great things during his time at Liverpool.
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'On the brink of history' - Salah scores his 199th goal for Liverpool to move closer to milestone
Since signing nearly two years ago, the 26-year-old’s time at the club has been disrupted by a serious knee injury last season and personal trauma this campaign as his parents were kidnapped in his homeland before being safely released.
“He’s a fantastic player, wonderful signing for the club, and I think he’ll go on to be an all-time player at Liverpool as well if he carries on the way he’s going. I think he can be that good,” Cole told TNT Sports.
The arrival of Diaz, Gakpo and Darwin Nunez over the past two years has helped compensate for the departure of Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, who alongside Salah, helped deliver Liverpool’s first Premier League title for 30 years in 2020 and the UEFA Champions League in 2019.
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Highlights: Salah gets 199th goal for Liverpool as Reds seal top spot in group
“He seems to buy players when they are on the way up,” added Cole on Klopp’s impressive track record in the transfer market.
“Salah is clearly the main man at the club, he’s the icon, he’s the front man in everything they do on and off the pitch, but the rest of the team work so hard.
“The front three looks as dangerous as ever when it is really only Mo Salah from the team that won all the trophies a few years ago.”
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