“He was absolutely rubbish” – Sam Allardyce admits how he didn’t rate Liverpool superstar initially
Former Premier League manager Sam Allardyce initially thought that Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah was rubbish when he arrived in English football.
Salah, 30, joined Chelsea from FC Basel in 2014 but struggled to make an impact in the English top flight with the Blues. He managed just 13 appearances in the league for the west Londoners, scoring two goals and providing as many assists.
The Egyptian attacker left Stamford Bridge in 2016 after two loan spells in Serie A throughout most of his Chelsea stint. He has since been a revelation for Liverpool since returning to the Premier League in 2017.
Allardyce has touched on the difficulties Salah experienced during his first season in English football, telling Not Tippy Tappy Football:
"Forwards who come to the Premier League, in that first year, they find it the hardest to be successful. We talk about Mo Salah and what a player he is. He was absolutely rubbish at Chelsea, and they got rid of him because he couldn't score a goal."
Salah has become Liverpool's protagonist since arriving at Anfield. He has scored 179 goals and provided 74 assists in 295 games across competitions. The Egyptian has won the Golden Boot three times with the Reds.
Allardyce added that he feels Salah returned to the Premier League with a vengeance:
"You look at him then, and you go, 'No', but he's come back with a vengeance."
Salah has not only been one of the Premier League's top attackers but has broken records at Anfield.
He became the first player to score 32 goals in a 38-game campaign in 2017-18. He also became the first player to outscore three Premier League teams that season. The Egyptian has also won the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup.
James Milner set to leave Liverpool at end of season
James Milner has been at the Reds for eight years, cementing himself as a club legend. The English midfielder has 323 appearances, scoring 26 goals and contributing 46 assists.
He's entering the twilight of his career, now aged 37, and it seems that he's set to end his long spell with the Reds in the summer. CBS journalist Ben Jacobs told GIVEMESPORT:
"From Milner’s point of view, he’d like to extend at Liverpool. But from Liverpool’s perspective, they’ve always been under the impression that this is his last season at Anfield."
Milner's contract expires at the end of the season. He arrived at Merseyside in 2015 on a free transfer after seeing out his Manchester City contract.