Klopp Reflects on Salah’s Imminent Departure from Anfield
Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has paid a heartfelt tribute to Mohamed Salah as the Egyptian superstar prepares to bid farewell to Anfield at the end of the current season. Salah recently confirmed his departure after a remarkable nine-year tenure with the Reds, a period that saw him achieve legendary status under Klopp’s guidance.
Klopp, who himself departed the club earlier this year after a highly successful seven-year spell, was in England to participate in a charity match between Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund legends held at Anfield. Speaking to The Anfield Wrap ahead of the game, the German manager shared his thoughts on Salah’s impending exit.
“I know he can only enjoy it if he wins and he scores,” Klopp stated, revealing that he and Salah had exchanged text messages earlier in the week. “I really hope on the last match day you will all have a smile on your face and all be happy and thankful you were part of one of the most incredible careers we will be a part of.”
Reflecting on his time working with Salah, with whom he clinched numerous accolades including the Premier League and Champions League titles, Klopp described the experience as “a joy, a challenge, it was hard work from both sides, it was an incredible outcome, it was pretty much everything.” He added, “I am pretty sure there was a day in Mo’s life where he dreamt of something like that – I couldn’t imagine that something like this is possible, the numbers he produced, the performances he showed, some of them will be unmatched forever.”
During Klopp’s stewardship, Salah graced the Anfield turf 349 times, netting an astonishing 211 goals. His arrival in the summer of 2017 marked a pivotal moment as Klopp embarked on a mission to restore Liverpool to its former glory. Upon signing, Salah quickly established himself as the undisputed first-choice right winger, forming a formidable partnership with Sadio Mané on the left flank.
Interestingly, Klopp recalled that Salah harboured initial doubts about his place in the team. “When we signed him, I remember he asked me where will I play,” Klopp recounted. “‘Your position, right wing’. He said, ‘But Sadio Mane is playing there’. ‘Don’t you think he could play left wing?’ ‘That’s for Coutinho’. He was really worried about if he would play.” The manager posed a rhetorical question to the audience: “Can you imagine Mo Salah today compared to that young man at the beginning of his real career?”
When Salah joined Liverpool for £36.5 million from Roma, his potential was still somewhat of an unknown quantity in the Premier League, particularly given his previous struggles during his initial stint at Chelsea. However, his spells at Fiorentina and Roma saw a significant improvement before he truly exploded onto the scene in Merseyside.
Rumours at the time of Salah’s transfer suggested that he was not Klopp’s primary target, with speculation pointing towards a preference for his compatriot, Julian Brandt. Many fans have since pondered the “what ifs” of such a scenario, and Klopp has now addressed these theories.
“There is always a story that I wanted to sign Julian Brandt or someone like that,” he admitted. “The situation with that is if you go for a winger, you talk to seven or eight.”
Klopp continued, “Yes we spoke to him, but we spoke to Salah. Whatever people think, I don’t care, but in the moment we were convinced he was the one, more convinced than he was in that moment. Maybe inside he was.”
He concluded his reflections by stating, “He was part of the best front three in world football for a long time.” Salah’s departure marks the end of an era, leaving behind a legacy of unparalleled goal-scoring prowess and a collection of trophies that have etched his name into Liverpool’s storied history. His impact has been profound, transforming him from a player with questions surrounding his Premier League future into one of the greatest forwards the English top flight has ever witnessed.
