Mohamed Salah is the unfortunate victim of football's obsession with the rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, according to Alan Shearer.
The Premier League legend believes the long-term success of the two modern-day greats has hindered Salah's chances of claiming the 2021 Ballon d'Or, which Messi claimed for a record-extending seventh time.
He told the Athletic: "Mohamed Salah is the best in the world right now. The best goalscorer and the best player, full stop.
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"The little magician is doing his stuff in the best league in the world and he's doing it the against the best teams and in the biggest games. Week-in week-out, year-in year-out, Salah performs magic.
"How he came seventh in the latest Ballon d'Or voting is anybody's guess. There's an obsession with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, which is understandable given how dominant they've been over the modern era, but if you gave me a choice of any player for my team it would be Salah."
Salah has been in scintillating form so far this season after scoring 20 goals in 21 appearances across all competitions, and most recently found the net in a 2-1 win over AC Milan on Tuesday.
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There is still speculation surrounding his future at the club, and is yet to sign a new contract at Anfield. His current deal expires in June 2023, but the forward insists he would like to stay on Merseyside.
But for now, the 29-year-old will be focused on adding to his impressive haul of goals when the Reds host Aston Villa this coming Saturday.
Jurgen Klopp's side moved up to second in the Premier League table following a dramatic 1-0 victory away at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, thanks to Divock Origi's stoppage-time winner.
They are now just a point adrift of league leaders Manchester City, who overcame Watford with a 3-1 win on Saturday.
Topics: Lionel Messi, Premier League, Alan Shearer, Mohamed Salah, Cristiano Ronaldo