A former Premier League star has remarked that he doesn't believe Mohamed Salah is a "world-class" player and that he would rather have his children emulate Vinicius Junior.
Since arriving at Liverpool in July 2017 from AS Roma, Salah has been a prolific figure at the club, playing a key role in their success over the last seven seasons, which includes a Premier League and UEFA Champions League title.
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Remarkably, the Egyptian has scored 221 goals for the Reds to date, placing him third on the club's all-time top scorers list, according to Transfermarkt.
Of those, 165 goals have come in the Premier League, making him the highest-scoring African in the league's history.
But despite his impressive CV and extensive list of achievements, ex-Watford captain Troy Deeney is adamant that Salah is not a world-class footballer.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Deeney said: "I think Mohamed Salah is excellent, he's a pivotal part for Liverpool and they should never have let it [his expiring contract] get to this situation.
"But I understand that there's a financial structure around what they want to try and keep to.
"My argument has always been that I just don't think he's world class.
"But world class is just a different opinion, what I think of world class is would I want my kids to play like that player? That's what I think is world class.
"If I was asking my kids who want to be forwards, I would be saying I would like them to look at what Vinicius Jr does as opposed to Mohamed Salah.
"His goals that he [Salah] scores, he scores an unbelievable amount of goals, he's highly effective, but that's just my opinion.
"He's probably going to turn around and say, 'Who the f*** is Troy?,' and fair play to him, but that's my opinion."
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By Lukhanyo Mtuta
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