Midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has said he was taken aback by the decision of Mohamed Salah to leave Liverpool at the end of the current season, describing the forward’s achievements at the club as “unprecedented”.
Salah is set to bring an end to a nine-year spell at Anfield, during which he has become one of the club’s most influential players, scoring more than 250 goals and collecting numerous individual and team honours.
Speaking in an interview with The Mixer, Oxlade-Chamberlain, who now plays for Celtic, said he had expected the 32-year-old to continue indefinitely given his consistency and mentality.
“I was a bit shocked because he is the type of guy that you just think will never stop. What Mo has achieved there at Liverpool is unprecedented,” he said.
Reflecting on Salah’s rise to prominence, Oxlade-Chamberlain highlighted the scale of his achievements, comparing them to some of the game’s greatest players.
“It is surreal to think that he’s gone to heights that are just astronomical. It’s Ronaldo-type numbers, but before Liverpool, he’d had a lot of setbacks. Gone to Chelsea, it didn’t quite work out. He’d gone to Italy and then he comes to Liverpool and he just turned into an animal.”
Despite his surprise, Oxlade-Chamberlain acknowledged that Salah’s decision may come at the right moment in his career.
“But he probably thinks it’s the best time for him. For our team he was just incredible.”
The former Liverpool midfielder also emphasised Salah’s unique ability to influence matches, even when not at his best — a trait he described as rare among players.
“He’s one of those players, I always say they’re special players, where if I’m having a bad game I’m useless to everyone.
“He could have a terrible game and score two goals and win you the game. That’s special. If I’m not feeling it on the day, I’m not scoring two goals. Everything needs to be clicking.”
Oxlade-Chamberlain further praised Salah’s mental resilience, pointing to his consistency and composure as key factors behind his sustained success.
“If he was having a good game or a bad game, he had a mindset and a mentality that was just elite to not get too hard on himself, doesn’t get too high, doesn’t get too low, always ready in the moment.
“That’s a special attribute that I saw from him. And that is the only way you can produce what he produces, not to mention that he lives and breathes the game.”
Salah’s impending departure is expected to mark the end of a significant chapter for Liverpool, with the forward widely regarded as one of the club’s modern greats.
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