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Who is the best Premier League player of all time? Alan Shearer has the most goals, Ryan Giggs 13 titles and the Ballon d’Or was won by Cristiano Ronaldo and Rodri.
But almost all polls put Thierry Henry in the number one position and I understand why. He could beat you with skill or fast pace. In Liverpool, we would do everything we could to stop him and still fail.
For two decades, King Henry has sat on the throne unopposed despite having other exceptional talents. However, 2025 could be a decisive year. If Mo Salah achieves what I believe, he will surpass even Thierry.
In the coming months, Salah could win his second Premier League and second Champions League, a fourth Golden Boot equaling the record of Alan Shearer and Henry, and move into fourth place on the all-time goalscoring list behind Shearer. , Harry Kane and Rooney. This is said by a winger who did not sign for Liverpool until he was 25 years old.
He is also tops in the league this season in assists and if he signs a new contract with Liverpool – I can’t see it not happening – it will take him over a decade to spend his time in England.
It is not just the facts and figures that make Salah not only special, but unique. He is achieving all this from a broad position. It’s not that he is a center forward where the team prepares its attack specifically for him.
Mohamed Salah is enjoying an excellent campaign as Liverpool have risen to the top of the league.
Salah’s goal against Leicester on Boxing Day marked his 16th of the season in the league
Speculation remains focused on Salah’s future with his contract up at the end of the season
Henry was a center forward who moved to the left. Salah is the complete opposite. Start well and enter when opportunities arise.
He scores the number of goals he scores because his positional play is exceptional. Run to receive the ball close enough to the goal. Once there, make quick decisions before defenders can react. Although he prefers his left, he can cut to his right.
His first touch to set up the shot is exceptional: it is pure talent. Added to that, he has a remarkable desire. The more he scores, the more he wants to do it.
Salah has been Liverpool’s talisman, reaching two more Champions League finals and twice finishing runners-up in the league with a points total that would have made them champions in any other year.
Henry would be the first to admit that he had world-class players like Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp at Arsenal who helped him. Wayne Rooney and Ronaldo were included in addition to Paul Scholes for Manchester United.
Salah has had brilliant teammates, but not at that level. Imagine what he could have done if Scholes and Bergkamp were partners.
Consistency is also a factor of greatness. The durability of the Egyptian is remarkable and it looks in better condition than ever.
He will turn 33 in June, an age at which clubs are normally reluctant to offer long-term deals, but I don’t see why Liverpool wouldn’t give him three more years as the club’s highest-paid player.
His record places him alongside Thierry Henry as the best player in the Premier League.
During his time at Arsenal, Henry had players such as Dennis Bergkamp playing alongside him.
Salah has enjoyed sustained success despite not having the same level of teammates
It’s a risk worth taking for the club all things considered and Salah has earned special treatment. It’s not going to fall off a cliff in the next year or two. As long as it doesn’t demand doubling your money (which I don’t think is the case), a deal should be reached.
All players want to be loved and Salah is adored on Merseyside. He seems like someone who places great importance on his family being settled and happy.
His legacy is already secured, but if he remains for the best part of a decade, even more records will fall, even those that seemed unattainable like Shearer’s Premier League goal record or Ian Rush’s at Liverpool. Salah has this burning desire to go down in the history books.
His body language has been excellent this season, Arne Slot has some of the credit. Their star smiles and encourages his teammates. He is definitely one of the main leaders of the Liverpool team.
Beyond goals, his peripheral vision for finding teammates is better than ever. He is a true team man as well as being an exceptional individual. At 32 years old, Salah is the complete package, in the best shape of his life.
I often suffered at the hands of Thierry. He scored a brilliant hat-trick against us at Liverpool during Arsenal’s Invincibles season and even when I moved to Charlton he scored that ridiculous backheel goal.
I didn’t think we’d see anything like that again. At the end of next year, I believe Mo will wear the crown.
Liverpool’s reluctance to offer Salah a long-term contract is understandable, but they simply cannot afford to let their best player walk out the door.
How the FA Cup can regain some glory
The FA Cup has lost traditional elements such as replays and saving Wembley for the final, but they could regain some glory by removing VAR.
He’s here to stay in the Premier League, but the exciting 4-3 Carabao Cup match between Tottenham and Manchester United was a breath of fresh air because he didn’t have VAR reviewing every incident.
The best thing about football is the moments of euphoria when a goal scores. It’s more true in the FA Cup. Why would we want to reduce those celebrations for a visit to Stockley Park?
The FA Cup could regain some glory for the competition if it decides to get rid of VAR
My wish for 2025
My football wish for the new year is that there are fewer robotic players. It makes me angry to see them clinging to an idea instead of thinking for themselves.
I’ve seen teams losing with two minutes left trying to maintain possession instead of chasing a tie. It’s a lack of game management that you wouldn’t want in a PG-15 game.
Managers must be frustrated. They want players to understand that no matter how well trained they are, there are times in a game situation to slow things down and times to take risks.
Everton were a breath of fresh air against Manchester City. Jordan Pickford would play with James Tarkowski if the opportunity existed.
But if they were shutting him down, he was happy to play longer rather than risk losing the ball. It’s just that many teams lack common sense.
Perhaps academy coaches should make it clear that learning a pattern of play does not mean abdicating responsibility when flexibility is needed.
Premier League teams could learn or do something from Everton’s performance against Man City
Where should Tuchel go first?
Thomas Tuchel officially starts as England manager on January 1 and has a full match program to choose from next weekend.
Given our lack of balance on the left at the Euros, I could take an early look at Newcastle’s combination on that side of Lewis Hall and Anthony Gordon.
Gordon is a natural winger that Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Morgan Rogers are not.
Hall is technically sound, as you would expect from a Chelsea academy graduate.
Tuchel will tour the pitch in the coming weeks, but for starters, I hope to see him in the game between Tottenham and Newcastle next Saturday at lunchtime.