Former English football star Michael Owen says that the Egyptian star Mohamed Salah, the top scorer for Liverpool, has gone from a "good player" to an "incredible scorer" and demanded that Salah be given a "big contract".
Salah became the first player since the English Ian Rush, in the eighties, to score at least 20 goals for 5 consecutive seasons, after he scored during Liverpool's victory over Milan yesterday in the Champions League 2-1.
Salah scored his goal at the San Siro from a rebound with a powerful shot from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, which was blocked by the Milan goalkeeper.
The "Egyptian King" showed his quick and lightning reactions to shake the opponent's net, and scored the equalizing goal for his team in the "San Siro".
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Speaking of Salah's superb finishing touch during the halftime, Owen said, "He makes it look so easy. It's not an easy finish at all. The ball was bouncing high, and instead of taming it, he shot straight into the goal. Makes it look easy." .
And he continued, "Salah was an average scorer earlier in his career, and now he is unbelievable."
Salah began his football career in England with rival Chelsea, but after he struggled to get playing minutes, he went to Fiorentina before eventually returning to “Anfield” in 2017.
In turn, former England captain Rio Ferdinand believes that Salah's ability to score is due to his "super confidence", while former England star Peter Crouch described him as "the best player in the English Premier League at the moment."
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Ferdinand agreed with Owen's comments and insisted it was the Egyptian star's "super confidence" that had turned him into a world-class goalscorer.
"Now you just expect him (Salah) to score from every opportunity. And you expect him to hit the goal and score. Most of the time, it's just complete self-confidence running through his veins."
As for Crouch, he said, "He's devastating. He's the best player in the Premier League at the moment. Just give him what he wants."
Owen also said, "Salah's ability to score should give him a great new contract," but he outlined the difficulties in deciding his future.
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"This is the last big decade of his career," said Owen, who is now a television analyst. "Where can he go at this moment? The idea of Spanish football is struggling. These things are complicated and take time."
However, Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp is optimistic that Salah, 29, will sign a new contract at the club.
When asked - before Milan's match in the Champions League yesterday - Klopp said: "We are talking - and extending the contract for a player like Mo (Salah) is not the kind where you meet for a cup of tea and find an agreement in the afternoon!".
He concluded, "Mo (Salah) is fine, I'm fine. What we all want is clear, because things like this take time. I think what we all want are clear things, and they need time... That's it."