Mo Salah overlooked by Liverpool teammate as toughest opponent for "absolute nightmare"

Rhys Williams has already been through his fair share of ups and downs in his fledgling Liverpool career.

Drafted into Jurgen Klopp’s lineup in the midst of last season’s debilitating defensive injury crisis, the 21-year-old went from non-league to Premier League in just a matter of months. Williams, along with fellow academy graduate Nat Phillips, formed an unlikely centre-back partnership which helped Liverpool win their final five league games to secure what appeared a highly improbable top-four finish.

But with the return to fitness of Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez and the summer arrival of Ibrahima Konate, Williams understandably fell back down the Anfield pecking order. There was then a loan move to Championship Swansea City, which in his own words was affected by the sickening racist abuse he suffered during an away match with Luton Town. The versatile defender then returned to the confines of Liverpool and training back with the senior players.

And speaking to Goal about his time learning his trade from Klopp’s assembled stars, it was not Mohamed Salah which gave him the most fits in training, instead pointing to one of his attacking colleagues Roberto Firmino.

He explained: “It’s amazing.Every single player in that squad trains as they play, so the quality and the tempo of the sessions is ridiculous. "It’s 100 miles an hour, you don’t get a second on the ball. You have to know what you’re doing, two passes before you receive it.

“Playing against him [Firmino] is an absolute nightmare!” he added. “You either have to leave him to drop off and then he turns and makes you look stupid, or you go out with him and then someone is in behind you getting a ball over the top off Robbo (Andy Robertson)