Mo Salah: From Outcast To Egyptian King

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2:36Hello, and welcome to The Rest is Football with Micah Richards and me, Gary Lineker. I know Alan Shearer today. We've given him a bit of time off because he was so grumpy after the England game the other night. Yeah, people weren't happy, guys. It was like, where was the energy? Where was the enthusiasm? I don't know what would happen. I think he'd come out the wrong side of the bed or something like that. But anyway, what I thought we'd do, because obviously we've had a lot of international football, which we've already covered. We've had a lot of interest and a lot of, well, love really for a couple of episodes we've done on the rest of this football, La Liga, where on certain weeks, like this week, actually, for example, we'd focus on a particular player and we did one on Lamin-Yumal and we did one this week which you can still obviously look down our feed and you can find them with Kili Numbapé and feedback has been so good that we thought on one of these kind of dead weeks do something along those lines on this feed on the rest is football so we're going to do a little profile a little chat on Mo Salah and what an impact he's had in not just Premier League football, but world football, obviously.

3:50And firstly, Micah, I mean, what an incredible player he's been, hasn't he? I think it's the consistency that I admire the most because how many players have you seen have amazing seasons for two or three years and then they drop off? But that ceiling is really high that it drops off massively. but with Salah to be consistent ever since the days at maybe Chelsea when things didn't go and before that when he was at Basel he was incredible then and a lot of people don't seem to remember that he used to score some really amazing goals back then but then ever since he's gone to Liverpool the consistency he's shown has been remarkable season after season and Another thing with him, he doesn't always have to play well.

4:45And we talk as pundits, you as a presenter, Gaz, about moments, big moments in games. And he always seems to take the moment when it's given to him. And that is the difference between Mo Salah, who's obviously really world-class, and someone trying to get to that world-class level. I had a sit down with him a few years ago and where we actually put out a kind of relatively short documentary for television on Mo. And his story was quite amazing. When he was a child, he used to travel about four hours one way to train and then four hours back to go home. So it shows you the drive. You know, he plays with that smile on his face, doesn't he, most of the time, which I quite enjoy as well, that he really looks like he's enjoying himself.

5:36But you can see inside there as well is a real competitor. He's incredibly ambitious, wanting to be successful. And I think if you're prepared to travel four hours just to train and four hours back home, we'll stand you in good stead in terms of that. But you're quite right. He went eventually to played in Egypt for a while, where he's obviously from, where he's become obviously a national hero there. but he went to Basel as you said and he did start to make a bit of an impact he was scoring a goal every other game and obviously then bigger clubs came looking at him and one of those was Chelsea now Chelsea's probably the one part of his career where it didn't quite happen for him I think Mourinho also had De Bruyne at a similar sort of time didn't he and both of those slipped through the net didn't they I'm sure with big regrets from Chelsea's side.

6:34I think it was Mourinho in charge at that moment. Yeah, but I think it is similar to Cole Palmer. At Man City at the time, they had Foden, another one you mentioned, Kevin De Bruyne. And sometimes it's all about timing in football. Kevin De Bruyne's timing wasn't that great because Chelsea was so good at the time. If you look at the midfield, I think that was the era when Fabregas was there. if I remember correctly. H, you'll tell me. Yes, it was. If I'm wrong. He's sticking a thumb up. Yes. And the way Chelsea played at the time was a little bit, let's say, let's use the terminology in the low block, but they had players and whatnot.

7:17Didn't quite suit maybe De Bruyne and Salah. I think Salah only played, and I've not looked at any stats here. Was it only 13 league games for Chelsea? That's correct. I'm on fire. I'm on fire. Very good, Mike. I've got all my research here. 13 goals and only, well, two goals. He didn't really get much of a look in, did he? He didn't get much of a look in. And you can't tell how much a player can do in just 13 games. If you look at someone like Vert now, who was all really excited by the start of the season, he's not got going yet. But I know and I believe that he will come very good because he's a top player.

7:57Just going through a little bit of adversity, which all players do at some point in their career. But with Salah, I always knew he would be special. It's just because of one, he can run in behind. All wingers want the ball to their feet. And he was a little bit different and he can do that. I remember a goal he scored at Anfield against Man City a couple of seasons ago when he chopped and went past about three players and stuck it in the net. So he's got that, but it was the other side for me, which I really enjoyed about his game and running behind, not afraid to stretch defensive. And I was like, once he gets his confidence, we're going to see the real Mo Salah.

8:42I think the real watershed moment in his career, probably Micah, is that when he was struggling at Chelsea, he went out on loan to Fiorentina. And obviously someone in that dressing room had an incredible influence on him. Of course Not only did you nurture him But you also were his taxi driver Which he did remember when I asked him I saw him recently at the Liverpool training ground What words did you put into him That made him the player that he is today, Mike? I just said to him Mo, come on Stop the nonsense Your confidence What address do you want me to drive you to? Your confidence is on the floor at the moment, but listen to me and I'll take you places.

9:30No, did I else? Could you see what he had at Fiorentina? I saw it in the first training session. That's how good he was. Technically, very good. In Italy at the time, Serie A is a slower pace, so it's more tactical defenders rather than fast defenders. and every opportunity in training, the ball over the top, he would just leave someone for dead and he would put it in the goal. So he knew straight away. His shooting was strange to say the least because he sort of got, and I don't, it sounds ridiculous, but I'm giving you what I saw when he was there. He doesn't hit the ball cleanly. It's not very clean when he, but he always used to hit the target and the ball used to always go in a net.

10:20In training. Yeah. When I did that interview, long form interview with him for the documentary that we did, I asked him about that because it was around this stage, a little bit later, that his goal ratio started to improve. And he sort of commented on that saying, when I was at Fiorentina, even at Roma, I didn't feel my finishing was quite. And he said he used to practice and practice in the garden. He said with a small goal. Wow. So it just shows you how even at that age, even when you're starting to make a name that you can still, you know, do things, extra things that can perhaps make just that slight difference.

10:59Because that's all it needed. And he's obviously worked on his finishing and that has become so much more consistent and better over the period. What was he like as a person? A lot of people want to know. He always seems, he comes over so well, doesn't he? I mean, he's got that infectious smile that he even does when he misses a chance. I mean, he seems quite cheeky. When I've met him, he's got like a little cheeky sense of humor. He likes to take the piss a bit. He's very confident, but humble at the same time, if that makes sense. So in his head, he's telling himself he's the best player in the world, but he wouldn't say that out loud.

11:37So I remember a story in training and I was just like, you're ridiculous and it was no disrespect to Fiorentino at the time we were a top four team the likes of Juventus Milan Inter Napoli to a certain degree were all maybe a little bit better than us at the time even though we finished fourth that season but he said you'll see I'm going to end up at Liverpool I've always wanted to play there and I will be the top goal scorer and this is not you can even ask him next time you see him or interview him or whatever it is he was that assured of himself that he just needed an opportunity to show exactly what he could do and he would never say it in interviews he would just say it to the lads we had a good sort of but it really was Liverpool that he said Liverpool was a team where he wanted to go He had his mind set on that and that's where he wanted to end up.

12:42And it was me, Mario Gomez. Do you remember the striker for Bayern? He was at Fiorentina. Marcos Alonso, who we obviously know from Bolton and Chelsea. Marco Marin, who was German international. We had a core group and Milan. Badel, he was Croatian international. And we were the only ones really who spoke English. so you get a little bit closer and that's where me taking him to training came from. In Florence, everyone pretty much lives in the town centre and it was only a mile or two away from the centre training. And he asked me for a lift one time. I got my car sent over from England to Italy because I wanted to drive right and drive.

13:32Because they don't make cars in Italy. How did I know you were saying stuff? I thought you'd have been straight to Ferrari garage. I can't do left hookers. I cannot drive left and drive. I drove one once and I crashed it. So never again. So I took my car over there. And when I took my car over there, I took him to training once, just one time. And when we leave training, he would just text me saying, 8.30. He would text me saying, can you pick me up tomorrow because I'm going to go in training for X, Y, Z. or fizzy or whatever. He just texts me 8.30 or 8.15. So every morning I just used to pick him up.

14:16What struck me was his love for football. He absolutely adores football. He's obsessed. And he was obsessed with numbers. That's why when you see him now talking about numbers and he sort of laughs it off in interviews at times, but he's there to be the very best. And I know a lot of people say is a little bit greedy in front of goal, et cetera, et cetera. But he cares about individual numbers. And that's why I knew he was going to go on to be a success wherever he went. And he went to Roma, absolutely smashed it there and then gets his move to Liverpool. That's when his numbers started to pick up towards the numbers that he latterly achieved at Liverpool.

15:01Okay, let's take a little break, Michael. and when we come back, we'll discuss, well, Liverpool, really, and his international career.

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16:00but he did make sure they qualified for the World Cup and he's done it again this time. They are actually qualified for 2026 World Cup. He's obviously been African Football of the Year. Would you say, Micah, that he'd be Africa's greatest player? Just a quick one of those before we move on to Liverpool. I feel as though for what he's achieved, maybe yes, but I don't think in Africa he would be considered. Do you not? Samuel Etou Etou was amazing Etou was just They've had some great Weir George Weir George Weir was incredible Yeah Who's the only player actually to win the Ballon d 'Or isn't he African player was George Weir I think There's another player from Egypt Gary who's won it three times Can you remember the name?

16:52It was your era It might be the guy that's now coaching Yes Hassan Yes, that's the one. Yeah. Do some people, do you think, in Egypt, believe that he was the best ever African player or even best ever Egyptian? Yes, best ever Egyptian, I think a lot of people would say, especially from going back. Don't forget there's Yahya Torre as well. Of course, there's so many great players. What he's achieved. Didier Drogba. Drogzilla. There's so many, but Etu, the way he's - Sadio Mane, who of course played with for many years at Liverpool. Correct. Yeah, another great. So yeah, in terms of the best African football, I think...

17:35He's got to be up there in any conversation. My era, yes. I'll say 100 % yes, my era. I mean, other people would say differently, I think. When he signed for Liverpool and it was for 36 million, he became the joint second fastest player to reach 20 goals for Liverpool. And it was only on his 26th appearance. and just behind George Allen, who reached the milestone in 1895. Even I didn't see that one, Micah. But well, it was a success story from the very start, wasn't it? He started scoring immediately. He was banging them in left, right and centre and has never really stopped since. Obviously played in that wonderful forward line, didn't he?

18:17With the aforementioned Sadio Mane and Bobby Firmino. A forward line, really, that compares favourably with most of, well, any really in Premier League history, I would say. Yeah, I think, but it was more the balance with that front three, wasn't it? I think Mane had skill, he had pace, could run him behind. Firmino would come really deep and almost sacrifice himself for the team. and then Salah with his pace and technique on the other side scored all the goals. And remember that famous fallout between Salah and Mane just because of the fact that they wanted to reach the potential of their career.

19:03And for those sort of players, it's all about the numbers, isn't it? And then they had the final against each other, didn't they? There was the penalty shootout. Yes. The African Cup of Nations, yeah. Exactly that. So that was an amazing team. But another thing about Salah, which I really admire is the way he's been able to adapt his game a little bit. Yes, he's still quick, but he's not as sharp as he was maybe five or six years ago. But he positions himself in real clever positions on the field where he can still get his shot away. How many times have we had Salah in our fantasy football? And you just think, it's not a great game.

19:50Is he going to get a chance? But he's always there. He always creates a chance for himself. His movement is just amazing on the field, even when he's not having a good game. But that team you mentioned, yeah, that was a great team to watch. He's one of that new generation of players that play in a certain position, isn't he? That wasn't a position really when I played. Because I don't know whether he'd have converted into one of the nines in old-time football or he would have been a winger. I suspect he would have changed into one of the nines. But it is interesting how he plays it as well as anybody.

20:26And yes, he's had a bit of a slow start to this season, but I suspect that won't last. I think Wurz will find his feet. I think Liverpool will find their feet. They're not doing badly, of course, but they haven't been the team that they were, certainly at this stage of last season when they were all guns a-blazing. So I think Salah's also maybe missing Trent Alexander-Arnold a little bit. I mean, who wouldn't? probably the most creative fullback that we've ever seen in the Premier League. Can I ask you a question though, please, Gassi? So we've talked about systems a lot and we talk about the terminologies of football and how players are having to actually adapt.

21:08So you played in 4-2, but you also played on the wing. How would you fare in this system with three strikers? Would you just be the number nine or would you be, say, from the left coming on your right foot? I'd want to be the nine. You want to be the nine? It's the way I play. I'm used to playing with my back to go. I love to spin. You can do those things in wide. And I played on the wing for a whole season at Barcelona. And it was frustrating because when you played wide, that was a proper winger as well under the Cruyff system. You wanted that, you know, the white lines on your boots. So it was frustrating because it completely ruined my goal scoring ratio.

21:48But I didn't find it very difficult. Just get the ball, go down, cross the ball. That was your job. And then, so I didn't find it particularly challenging, but it was a different role to the one that they now play. Well, that's what I'm saying, because if you had a striker, sorry to cut you up. But I wasn't a dribbler, Micah. I wasn't a dribbler. Yeah, but you had a really good pace. So if you had someone who could hold it up, say a Fabinho Bobby Fabinho Liverpool type and you could make the third man run you'd get chance after chance I feel at times we've seen it with Haaland now and that's why I think what Haaland doing at Man City is remarkable because he doesn't touch the ball often but he's always ready well that's the life as a nine even I think even more so nowadays probably because of the nature of the wide players the ones that tend to be the ones that get the ball more so yeah I think I think if you're an out and out goal scorer then you can you can settle for not getting that many touches of the ball but I think if you're in those wide positions you will get more of the ball but Mo's so good at like going one way and then cutting in onto his left foot so there are certain players will have that strength and other players I would say that are better as a nine because they've got different facets to their game.

23:13So, but Mo plays it as well as anyone. His timing of his runs, you've mentioned it already, the way he gets behind defences, I think is, I mean, he does it as well as anyone really. He doesn't get caught offside very often. Exactly. But he times because of the timing. And if he is caught offside, it's generally the fault of the person passing it, I would say, because they don't. So because as forwards, as someone who's played that role, you do know how to run and to beat an offside trap. But what happens sometimes is you have to guess a little bit about when the midfield player, the winger, the fullback, whatever it is, is going to hit the ball.

23:53And then if they suddenly stutter for a second, that screws you up, which was one of the great windups of football that just drove me bonkers most of the time. When you think, hit it now, and then they don't. It's so frustrating. I think you're a little bit wasted. I know we're going a little bit off topic here, but you've got so much knowledge to pass on to things that we see week in, week out to forward players. Yeah, but if you could be there with a player and just show, and I'm sure all the Premier League team, I've got top coaches, but the difference, you know, with top level strikers, what they're seeing, what they can improve on.

24:36I just think the way you explain it, even going back to the Euros, when he got up and he's passionate, it makes a difference, you know? That's very kind of you to say, sir. I don't think Mo Salah needs much improving. He's an absolute master of his trade. I mean, he's won it all at Liverpool, hasn't he? I mean, there's nothing that he's not done. We can go through his numbers. His numbers are obviously quite extraordinary. In 295 games, he scored 186 goals, which is staggering and countless assists as well. I mean, it's amazing really. I mean, he's a true hero at the club and I think everybody in Liverpool would have breathed a huge sigh of relief when he signed his contract in the summer because I think the thought of life without Mo, which will have to happen at some point, was just pushed down the road a little bit.

25:30Yeah. And I think that probably satisfied everybody. I think as well, just on that, It's not just what it can do on the field. It's, you know, the connection he has with the fans, which seeing Mo Salah go, and similar to Kevin De Bruyne when he left City, I thought he could have definitely done another year at least. So to see Salah tied down, it was great not only for Liverpool, but great for the league because you just want the best or the very best player to be playing week in, week out. And again, I'm going to give him a little bit of praise on even when things are not growing that well, he always manages to bring it back around, you know, and score a goal, get an assist.

26:16His mentality is just different to a lot of players I've played with him and that's what separates him from the rest. It's quite astonishing really as well. I mean, obviously people have down times in their careers, but he hasn't had many. And specifically with injuries as well. He doesn't, I mean, I don't want to jinx him here and I'll touch wood, but he's so rarely injured. I remember probably his two, probably two of his down moments in his career would be the final, obviously the Champions League. Was that Ramos, wasn't it? Against Real Madrid when Ramos ripped him down and basically did his shoulder.

26:54And then because of that, he struggled to get into the World Cup, didn't he? And he played, but he wasn't his best self. But his fitness levels, I mean, obviously we follow him on social media and he seems to be forever in the gym and he really looks after himself, doesn't he? His physique is... And it was very good when he was in Florence, Fiorentina, but I think he's taking it to the next level now. It really has. He looks like some sort of model, doesn't he? He looks like an Adonis. I don't know what he's eating. I don't know what he's doing, but he's looking after himself similar to players like the James Milner.

27:34I don't know if you've seen him in the gym. Looks really good. And it just shows the players who look after themselves have the longevity, don't they? And that's ultimately another difference. Bit of self-awareness creeping in there, isn't it?

27:51Lessons to be learned And that's too late It's too little too late Right where do we put Mo Salah In the pantheon of greats In terms of Let's just go with Perhaps the Premier League He's got to be in the conversation I mean he's got Obviously he's fourth in the Ballon d 'Or Most recently He's probably gone close In people's thinking on that For many years he's been the most consistent goal scorer and assist provider over the last few years for Liverpool as well he has to be up there in the conversation it's difficult because if you're Man City fans you'll say David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne Yaya Torre all the legends at Man United the Roy Keane the Scholes is, you know, Wayne Rooney, Thierry Henry for Arsenal, you know.

28:50Even Bergkamp though, but everyone talks about Henry and Henry was probably the best ever we've had in the Premier League. But Bergkamp, people forget about Bergkamp. Paul Scholes. Scholes, it goes on and on. Lampard. Hazard, John Terry, there's loads. But we love these conversations, but he's, he's definitely, definitely right he's got to be in the top few got to be it depends on how how you're judging it because of course if it's to do with longevity he's got to be in top three because he's that consistent but if we're doing it because look at Ronaldo's seasons when he was here he wasn't in the Premier League that long but what he did whilst he was here was just breathtaking so it all depends but I'm always a little bit biased because I played with him and I got to see it, you know, day in, day out.

29:49But it would, he'd have to go in my top three for consistency. He has to be, he has to be right up there. I mean, it's so difficult because players play in different positions and they have greater success at various clubs. But he's pretty much stuck at Liverpool, well, certainly in the Premier League, apart from his early spell at Chelsea. But I think he's a wonderful talent and he's a great example for any young footballers to follow because he looks after himself properly. He's hugely intelligent and he plays the game with a smile on his face and I think that's a lovely way to end this episode.