Arne Slot has praised Mo Salah’s unwavering commitment to his fitness, comparing it to the exceptional standards set by Cristiano Ronaldo. The Liverpool manager believes that Salah’s dedication makes him an ideal role model for the club’s up-and-coming stars.
Despite ongoing speculation about Salah’s future at Anfield – with his contract due to expire at the end of the season – Slot is savouring every moment with the 32-year-old. As Liverpool aim to return to winning ways against Wolves following their surprise FA Cup loss to Plymouth and a dramatic 2-2 draw at Everton, Salah’s relentless drive to improve has left Slot in awe.
He insists that despite being 32, Salah’s fitness mindset makes him seem younger. “In certain things you can see he’s 32, and what I mean by that is that he is so experienced and so smart to know where the ball will fall,” says Slot.
“That’s a positive thing about being 32, that he has lived through so many situations that he just feels that the ball can fall there and he’s there, like the second goal at Everton.
“In other parts like how fit he is, what he does to be able to play every three days at his age… well. He’s not the only one who does that, I think Cristiano Ronaldo is still doing it at the age of 40, but Mo is also definitely an example – like Virgil Van Dijk – for our younger players.”
“How fit they are and how able they are to bring their best performance out every three days. But 32 is not old, old – for a football player it’s still a good age to be at, and Mo is proving that.”
The Reds boss is thrilled with Salah’s impact this season, which includes a tally of 22 goals and 14 assists in the league, making him an instrumental figure in Liverpool’s quest for silverware.
“Every manager loves to work with the best players in the world because if you do an exercise or you try to have an idea about playing, these players can execute it even better,” Slot continued.
“But what excites me most is that Mo is a very humble person who wants to work every day to become a better player. To come in knowing that you’re going to work with players who want to become better that’s what excites me most as a manager. Then, my efforts are useful, if they didn’t want to become better then my efforts would be useless.”
As Liverpool gears up for challenging fixtures against Wolves, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Newcastle, Slot has identified Alexis Mac Allister as another key figure who could play a pivotal role in shaping Liverpool’s season.
“The midfield all have their individual qualities, and together they are very strong, but it’s no coincidence that Macca won the World Cup,” Slot said.
“In the most difficult circumstances he stood up. It was a hard, difficult game so for him to be so good, to fight so hard and be so mentally strong, that’s what you need if you want to win the World Cup.
“He stood up and that was one of the reasons he played so well. I don’t think he had 25 through passes and that’s what we sometimes see from him as well, but it was a game that was more about fighting and he was there, definitely.”
This article was first published on the Mirror
