Steven Gerrard's Candid Advice to Mohamed Salah on Liverpool Departure
Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has publicly revealed the personal advice he gave to Mohamed Salah regarding the Egyptian forward's impending exit from Anfield. Gerrard disclosed that he urged Salah not to depart Liverpool "under a cloud" following his public disagreement with current manager Arne Slot.
Salah's Confirmed Departure and Season of Tension
Mohamed Salah confirmed last week that he will leave Liverpool this summer, having agreed to terminate his contract one year ahead of schedule. The 33-year-old forward has experienced a challenging season, which included a December post-match interview where he claimed to have been "thrown under the bus" by manager Arne Slot after being relegated to the bench during a period of poor results.
Salah has scored an impressive 255 goals in 435 appearances for Liverpool since joining from Roma in 2017. His contributions include two Premier League titles and a Champions League victory, establishing him as one of the club's modern legends.
Gerrard's Direct Intervention and Relationship with Salah
Speaking on The Overlap podcast, Gerrard revealed: "I spoke to him around that interview at the time and sort of said to him, 'don't do what you've done and go under a cloud'." The former England midfielder clarified the nature of his relationship with Salah, stating: "I spoke to him direct. He texts me now and again, or I text him – more to do with if I'm going somewhere with Lio (Gerrard's son), just so Lio can see him, really, but I'm not like close to him."
Gerrard continued, explaining his reasoning: "But it gave me the opportunity to say to him, 'look, you've been here eight, nine years, you've been king here, you've got this legacy, just go on your terms, the right way'." He noted that Salah was "still a little bit emotional from the incident" at the time of their conversation, adding: "He was in and out of the team at the time, he was upset. I just thought it would be a shame if he left in January and he just left (without a goodbye)."
Gerrard's Assessment of the Situation
When asked if he was surprised by Salah's imminent departure, the 45-year-old Gerrard responded: "No, not at all. I think it's in everyone's best interests now. I think the timing's right." He elaborated on the underlying issues: "He's obviously had a disagreement with the manager. I don't know at what level. He's obviously done the interview, which I think he'll regret further down the line. But that told that there was an issue there."
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot stated on Wednesday that Salah will "leave the club a legend," acknowledging his significant contributions during his tenure at Anfield.
Salah's Future and Exceptional Mindset
Salah, who is set to become a free agent this summer, has been linked with potential moves to the Saudi Pro League or Major League Soccer. However, Gerrard indicated he would not be surprised if the forward chose to remain in European football.
"Knowing him, the relationship I've got with him, he'll still have himself down as one of the best players in the world," Gerrard remarked. "I think that's the reason why the fallout's come about. He was probably struggling with the transition of a manager saying, 'you're not starting today', (and he is thinking) 'you what? Listen, I'm still one of the best players in the world'."
Gerrard concluded by describing Salah's exceptional competitive mindset: "I think that's his mentality, and there are good players, top players, and then those ones at the top that are a little bit freakish in terms of their mentality and how they think. He's one of them, where he's just: I'm the best, I'm the best, I'm the best."
