And identical to that, one among the best Premier League careers begins its final chapter.
After nine record-breaking years and 255 goals on Merseyside, Mohamed Salah on Tuesday announced that this will probably be his last season at Liverpool.
Signed from Roma initially as a rotation option with Sadio Mane in 2017, Salah has gone on to develop into one among Liverpool’s best-ever players, helping the club win eight major trophies, including two league titles.
But after a disappointing season by his own lofty standards – the Egyptian has scored five goals in 22 league games this campaign – Salah is now set to search for a brand new club at the top of the season.
Along with his departure now confirmed, discussion will inevitably turn to Salah’s legacy within the English top-flight and where he ranks amongst the pantheon of great players.
Does he make Metro’s all-time Premier League XI? Let’s discover…
Can CR7 time at United rival Salah’s record?
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While most positions are stacked for options in terms of an all-time XI, the Premier League has a somewhat sparse shortlist in terms of options on the fitting wing.
Over on the alternative flank, Thierry Henry, Ryan Giggs, Eden Hazard, Robert Pires and Gareth Bale are only among the options to contemplate.
But on the fitting wing, Salah has less competition. David Beckham will often get namechecked for his trophy-laden spell at Manchester United, but the previous England captain doesn’t quite have the cold, hard numbers to rival Salah.
Perhaps Salah’s only true competition, due to this fact, is the person who inherited the number seven shirt from Beckham at United: a certain Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese forward spent six seasons at United in his first spell at Old Trafford, scoring 118 goals in 292 games in all competitions. Joining as a raw teen from Sporting CP, he left as the most costly player on the planet and a Ballon d’Or winner after helping United win the double in 2007/08.
But while Ronaldo went on to cement his legacy as one among the sport’s greatest-ever players at Real Madrid, Salah’s time at Liverpool eclipses what the Portuguese great has managed to perform at Old Trafford.
Even accounting for Salah’s longer spell within the English top-flight, the Egyptian forward’s goals, assists, and probabilities created per 90 minutes all exceed the degrees that Ronaldo reached during his two spells with the Red Devils.
Writing within the Day by day Telegraph, former Reds defender Jamie Carragher argued as much, stating: ‘Within the pantheon of overseas attacking players to have excelled in England, only Thierry Henry eclipses Salah’s output and consistency.
‘While many will argue the merits of players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Eden Hazard, Gianfranco Zola, Dennis Bergkamp or Eric Cantona, none of them produced the identical devastating numbers as consistently, season-after-season, because the Egyptian.
‘Ronaldo’s time at Manchester United, each initially and upon his return, was either side of his absolute, Real Madrid-peak years. Salah edges ahead of him when judging strictly on Premier League performance and impact.’
Is Salah the all-time Premier League forward?
And in terms of forwards as a complete, there’s an argument to suggest that Salah is the very best the league has ever seen.
Alan Shearer, Harry Kane and Wayne Rooney all sit above in terms of goals, but Salah’s fourth-place standing is arguably more impressive as a large forward relatively than an out-and-out striker.
Thierry Henry’s breathtaking ability in Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal side saw him develop into the league’s poster boy when it exploded within the early 2000s.
But what Salah may lack in swagger, he has greater than made up for in ruthless efficiency.
In his first campaign, the Egyptian scored a remarkable 44 goals in 52 games and has never dipped below 23 goals in all competitions up to now in his Liverpool profession.
Those statistics are a measure of his ridiculous consistency but additionally availability: Salah’s absence against Brighton last weekend was just the ninth game missed as a result of injury during his nine years on the club.
Mix that together with his trophy haul, and the case is difficult to disregard. The 33-year-old has won every little thing there’s to win at Liverpool and is the one player to win each the PFA Player of the 12 months and FWA Footballer of the 12 months awards thrice.
That takes some beating.
So, pick all of the players you wish around him, but in an all-time Premier League XI, the Egyptian King greater than deserves his place.
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