Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders believes that Mohamed Salah should be ‘cherished’ for all that he brings to the team.
The Egyptian has started the 2023/24 season in spectacular form, scoring four times and laying on four assists in seven matches and providing at least one goal contribution in every game he’s played.
Salah could have left Liverpool over the summer though, with Saudi Pro League champions Al Ittihad showing a willingness to pay a world-record sum for the forward. However, the Reds stood firm and knocked back their advances.
Ahead of Liverpool’s clash with EFL Championship side Leicester City in round three of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, assistant boss Lijnders spoke glowingly of Salah.
“He’s breaking record after record. He’s a mentor, a leader. I see him in the gym, I see him coming in early. I see a real professional and a man who can lead this team without being the captain. It’s special that he’s with us. We should cherish these players,” he said.
With 190 goals in 312 games across all competitions, Salah ranks fifth on Liverpool’s list of all-time leading scorers. He is the only player from outside the British isles to place in the top ten.
Salah has helped Liverpool win seven major honours during his stay at Anfield and the Reds will now kick off their pursuit of a second Carabao Cup in three years. However, Lijnders has admitted that he and Jurgen Klopp will have to rotate the side.
“The schedule is crazy at the moment,” Lijnders added.
“We played in the Europa League on Thursday, then Sunday, now Wednesday and then Saturday. With the style we have with the counter-pressing we know that takes a lot out of the boys, physically and mentally. We need to make changes. It’s a given in a period like this.”
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