Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins has praised the movement and composure of Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah.
Salah has long been a reference point for any Premier League forward looking to improve their own game. Now, in conversation with The Athletic, Watkins has shared exactly what he admires about Liverpool’s Egyptian King.
“I’m trying to be more sensible and selective with my runs rather than being really eager and running everywhere,” said the 26-year-ol.d “It’s also about having composure. Mo Salah is so good at it. He runs so quickly but he is good at taking an extra touch to compose himself and then finish.”
The World Cup has been a duller competition without the talents of Salah to light it up. How we’re looking forward to seeing him back in a Liverpool shirt tomorrow.
Salah key to Liverpool’s season
It will have really hurt Salah to have to watch on as top players from around the world headed to battle in Qatar.
But while others enjoy their moment in the spotlight, the Egyptian will be working hard to make sure he steals it upon the Premier League’s return.
It hasn’t been a vintage season for Mo so far. Before the break he had hit a good little run of form, though.
If Liverpool are to get their season back on track, he’s going to have to find that more consistently. With the news filtering through that Luis Diaz is now set for another spell out, that need is now even greater.
More emphasis is set to placed on the goal scoring efforts of Salah, Darwin Nunez and Roberto Firmino without the Colombian.
Usually, Mo rises to these kinds of challenges with aplomb. As Watkins points out, he is a goal scorer supreme.
It isn’t necessarily that he’s a perfect finisher. There are plenty of players who you’d say are possibly cleaner strikers of the ball. But his speed of thought and movement is right up there with the very best.
£28m man Watkins can try and match the Reds No.11, but he’ll never manage it.
Receive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox
