Virgil van Dijk expects Mohamed Salah to take his form to higher levels after clearing his mind of the contract issues that became a distraction.
Liverpool continued their preparations for the new campaign by winning the Community Shield on Saturday, with Salah's performance one of many highlights for manager Jurgen Klopp in a 3-1 win over Manchester City.
The Egypt forward thrashed home a penalty and assisted his side's opening goal. Salah set the tone for Liverpool as early as the third minute when he scurried away from Joao Cancelo, and was so happy to receive the trophy at the end that he almost jumped into the Reds fans who were celebrating at Leicester's King Power Stadium.
Though Salah won the PFA and FWA Player of the Year awards last season, his form tapered off. Now he has signed a contract that will keep him at Anfield until June 2025, Van Dijk feels it will prove to be liberating for the 30-year-old. 'He's under the microscope all of the time — he created that himself.