Klopp Reflects on Salah's Liverpool Career and Future
Mohamed Salah played under Jurgen Klopp for seven years at Liverpool.
Jurgen Klopp has expressed his belief that Mohamed Salah could continue playing professional football until the age of 40, following the forward's announcement that he will leave Liverpool at the end of the current season.
Klopp, who departed Anfield in 2024, was the manager responsible for signing Salah from the Italian club Roma in 2017.
The Egyptian winger, now 33 years old, has scored 255 goals for Liverpool, placing him third on the club's all-time scoring list behind only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt.
Speaking to ahead of an LFC Legends charity match, Klopp stated:
"Salah is an incredible professional.
He set completely new standards for a professional football player - how hard you can work, how much you can invest in recovery and everything."
The German manager added:
"Now he leaves here but I would not be surprised if he plays another six or seven years.
I'm sad but he's an all-time great without a shadow of a doubt and I'm really proud to be a part of that career."
Salah's Departure: A Tough but Inevitable Decision
The departure of Premier League star Mohamed Salah marks the end of an era filled with memorable moments for Liverpool fans.
Klopp and Salah together secured numerous titles, including the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, two League Cups, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup.
Reflecting on their partnership, Klopp commented:
"He knows this was the perfect club for him and he was the perfect player for us."
"Mo and I had big dreams, but we didn't dare to dream that big. I'm not sure we can appreciate it to the right extent - that will happen soon now. I wish him the best of luck because he deserves it.
The numbers he produced and the standards he set, some of them, if not all, will stay unmatched in this modern Premier League era, definitely, because it's ridiculous to do that, and to do it for one club more or less."
Klopp, aged 58, described Salah as "one of the best" professionals and people he has encountered.
He added:
"We texted the other day and we had our arguments, but it was always for the right reasons. It's always fine, especially now looking back, it's more than fine. And we are both really happy about being part of that incredible journey."
On the Timing of Salah's Exit
When asked whether it was the appropriate time for Liverpool and Salah to part ways, given that the winger still has a year remaining on his contract, Klopp described the arrangement as a "fair deal."
He explained:
"It's not about me to make that decision but I think it's right that there's an agreement.
I really think the whole relationship was a fair deal. An exceptional player, exceptional numbers, and he earned some money, of course.
And now he can go wherever he wants and the club will have to find and will find other players, and that's absolutely OK.
After all these years there should be no bad sentiment at all and as far as I'm concerned I can't see any."
Liverpool Legends are set to play Borussia Dortmund Legends in the annual LFC Foundation charity match at Anfield on Saturday, with Klopp involved as part of the hosts' management team.
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