Mo Salah needs just one more goal to overhaul Thierry Henry’s tally of 175 goals, further cementing his status as a true great of the Premier League era.
The Egyptian King drew level with Henry when he netted against Manchester United recently, albeit there remains speculation over his future at Liverpool, with his contract currently due to expire at the end of the season.
Should the 32-year-old extend his deal though, he could strengthen his case to be regarded as the finest Premier League player ever during the next few years.
Wing wizards
Salah isn’t the first wide man to be regarded as a generational great while plying his trade at Anfield.
John Barnes is revered by Liverpool fans after dazzling during 10 years at the club, delivering league titles in both 1988 and 1990.
Earlier this season, an online poll asked supporters who was better, Salah or Barnes. A total of 60 per cent opted for Barnes, while Steve Nicol has also previously said he thought the England international had the edge over Salah.
What does the man himself think? “Well, I think Mo is just about better than me to be honest with you, because I’m 61 years old now and I’ve got a bad shoulder and a bad knee, so I think he just pips it!” Barnes joked as he spoke to FourFourTwo.
“But you can’t compare eras – if I was playing now, I would play on the right, coming in with my left foot to score, rather than going down the line.
“Mo doesn’t play in the same position as me, it’s like saying ‘Is Mo better than Steven Gerrard?’ or ‘Is Mo better than Alan Hansen?’.
“If Mo was playing in my day, he wouldn’t score those goals, because he would have been playing on the left and crossing the ball for Ian Rush and John Aldridge, so to compare people in different positions is crazy.
“But I just say that any great player from Liverpool in any era is the same.”
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The best Premier League player ever?
Henry is regarded by some as the finest player in Premier League history – if Salah remains at Liverpool for some time yet, Barnes acknowledged that he could become the best Premier League player ever.
“Absolutely, of course he can,” Barnes said, speaking at the LiveScore Live Fan Event in Liverpool. “But so can Kevin De Bruyne or Erling Haaland, there are lots of players who can.
“It’s difficult to say ever because there’s always going to be a player – 10 years ago it would have been, I don’t know, Wayne Rooney. Now we’re talking about Mo Salah, and in 10 years' time there’ll be someone else.
“But even if he leaves, Mo would still be one of the greatest Premier League players ever, even now. I won’t say the best, because there have been great ones in the past, but he absolutely would be one of them.”
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