"He walks, walks, walks, but when he runs it is so fast" - Michael Owen salutes Liverpool star's fitness after win over Ipswich
Liverpool legend Michael Owen has hailed Mohamed Salah for his incredible fitness levels following the Reds' 2-0 win against Ipswich Town on August 17. Arne Slot started his tenure at the Merseyside club with a win, with Salah making the headlines as usual.
The Egyptian superstar scored a record-extending ninth goal in the opening weekend in the Premier League. The 32-year-old scored the second goal for Liverpool five minutes after turning provider for Diogo Jota's opener in the 60th minute.
Following Salah's incredible showing, Michael Owen was full of praise for the 'Egyptian King'. The former Liverpool striker particularly highlighted the former Chelsea attacker's fitness levels, saying on Premier League Productions, as quoted by HITC:
“No defender wants to be sprinting back into their own half and it’s amazing how many times he did it, yet he still got his timing right and he was still very difficult for the Ipswich defence to be able to pick up. His fitness levels today really impressed me. We mentioned the heat before."
Owen also highlighted how well Salah times his runs and makes himself a menace for the opposition defenders. He added:
"You look at all the stats and he hasn’t covered as much ground as ‘x, y and z’. His runs are lung-busting runs. They take it out of you. He isn’t just buzzing around 60% constantly. He walks, walks, walks, but when he runs, it is so fast and over long distances. Playing out wide is a difficult position."
Owen concluded:
"Then he is back in again. And as soon as someone gets the ball, he is off again. Again, and again and again. 90th minute, still sprinting at full pelt. His fitness levels. His strength. People talk about his quality of finishing, of course. Absolutely right, but his fitness levels today really impressed me.”
Salah has etched his name as a legend at Liverpool since joining the club in 2017 from AS Roma in a deal worth a reported £34.3 million. He has scored 212 goals and provided 88 assists in 350 appearances for the Reds while helping the club win eight trophies.
Former Liverpool star claims Mohamed Salah is not world-class
Former Liverpool defender Gary Gillespie has claimed that Mohamed Salah is not a world-class player. The three-time Football League First Division winner with the Reds acknowledged Salah's phenomenal stats but insisted he is not a world-class player. The Scotsman told LFC TV via SPORTbible:
"We talk about Mohamed Salah being a world-class footballer... is he a world class footballer? I don't think he is a world-class footballer, but his stats suggest that he is, because his stats are through the roof."
Salah has established himself as one of the greatest players to have graced the Liverpool shirt. The Egypt international has won the Premier League Golden Boot on three occasions, and has been named PFA Players' Player of the Year on two occasions.