Salah already comfortable in company of Anfield legends

Anyone who doubts Mohamed Salah’s greatness is delusional. The Liverpool striker is not just one of the finest players in the world. He is up there with the very best in the club’s history. That puts the 29-year-old in a very elite group.

- TONY EVANS

There have been so many wonderful stars in the Anfield galaxy that it takes a special individual to be worthy of comparison. In living history Kenny Dalglish tops the pile, with John Barnes and Steven Gerrard able to make a case that they are the most illustrious. Graeme Souness is in the mix but the midfielder’s role was so different to Salah’s that it would be foolish to contrast the two. One thing is clear: the Egyptian has crashed the top five.

There are moments when older supporters gasp to see Salah do things that only Dalglish accomplished on a regular basis. His wriggling runs through crowded penalty boxes evoke the original “King”. The ability to transfix defenders and then squirm through the narrowest gaps between despairing challenges is a rare talent. Salah’s goals against Manchester City and Watford this month evoked Dalglish’s magnificent strike against Manchester United in the 1979 FA Cup semi-final at Maine Road. They were breathtaking examples of the “Egyptian King’s” genius.