Arne Slot says Mohamed Salah will leave Liverpool ‘as a legend’

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot believes Mohamed Salah will “leave the club a legend” after announcing his departure at the end of the season.

The Egypt international took to social media last week to reveal he had come to an agreement with the club to end the contract he only extended last summer a year early.

It has been a difficult campaign for the 33-year-old, the low point of which came in December when he said Slot had “thrown him under the bus” by benching him when results took a slide.

The pair appear, on the surface, to have patched up their differences and Slot is looking forward to Salah signing off with a flourish.

A post shared by Mohamed Salah (@mosalah)

“The first day I was impressed by his professionalism,” Slot told the club’s website.

“He had nothing to prove but for himself he had a lot to prove because Mo always thinks he has to prove something every three days. That hunger never stops and that is something that I find most special about him.

“To show that hunger every three days, that professionalism, that commitment to the club, to the team, wanting to score again, always wanting to play – when you take him out three minutes before the end he’s like, ‘Maybe I could have scored one extra!’ – that is what stands out for me.

“Hopefully he can make his legacy even more special in the upcoming weeks and months where we still play for something special but he will always leave this club as a legend.”

Salah’s early announcement means he will get a fitting farewell, something not always afforded to players who leave during the summer.

Slot said the player warranted that but wanted supporters to get behind the team ahead of a crucial fortnight with an FA Cup quarter-final at Manchester City followed by a