Former Premier League forward Troy Deeney has left fans absolutely stunned by his comments about Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.
Deeney, 36, is best known for his eleven-year spell at Watford. In his prime, he was a handful for even the best defenders, using his power and experience to get the better of his opposition.
After leaving Watford, he joined his hometown club, Birmingham City, before a short spell at Forest Green Rovers, where he became head coach in December 2023.
He was sacked after zero wins in six matches on January 18, 2024.
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During his short tenure, he publicly criticised his players, and he has never been one to shy away from giving his opinion.
His outspoken personality has allowed him to forge a career in the media, appearing on several podcasts and radio shows.
But his opinion about Salah is certainly not what you would have expected.
Deeney claimed the Egyptian is not “world-class” despite registering 20 goals involvements in just 17 appearances this season and boasting a mind-boggling total of 298 career goals.
“I think Mohamed Salah is excellent; he’s a pivotal part of Liverpool, and they should never have let it [his expiring contract] get to this situation,” Deeney told talkSPORT.
Salah is currently in the final year of his contract at the Reds, and his future is still unclear.
"But I understand that there’s a financial structure around what they want to try and keep to,” Deeney added.
"My argument has always been that I just don’t think he’s world-class.
"But world-class is just a different opinion, what I think of world-class is, would I want my kids to play like that player? That's what I think is world-class.
“If I was asking my kids who want to be forwards, I would be saying I would like them to look at what Vinicius Jr does as opposed to Mohamed Salah.
"But his goals that he [Salah] scores, he scores an unbelievable amount of goals, he's highly effective, but that’s just my opinion.”
However, the former Hornets forward did admit that Salah is likely to not know who he is despite facing him on five occasions.
Fans on social media were quick to give their opinion on Deeney’s take.
One said: “Troy Deeney isn't fit to lace his [Mo Salah’s] boots.”
A second added: “I just don’t see how you can make that claim. The guy has been delivering brilliant performances & plenty of end product for years in the most elite league in Europe. Coupled with that, he is a proper footballer - humble, disciplined, understated & never in the news for the wrong reasons."
With a third saying: “If Salah isn’t world-class, then what does that make Troy Deeney.”
Topics: Liverpool, Troy Deeney, Premier League, Football, Transfers, Fan Reactions
Luke Davies