“I left Liverpool for one reason – Mohamed Salah shouldn’t follow my example”

Ian Rush

Ian Rush has emphasized that Mohamed Salah doesn’t need to follow in his footsteps by leaving Liverpool, despite his own experience of departing the club twice.

Rush, who knows firsthand what it’s like to leave Liverpool, explained that Salah’s circumstances are very different. His first departure in 1987 was brief, returning to Liverpool after just one season at Juventus due to homesickness. In 1996, when he left for Leeds, he was already a club legend, having become the Reds’ all-time top scorer.

While Salah has reached similar iconic status during his seven-and-a-half years at Liverpool, Rush believes there’s no reason for Salah to leave now. In an interview with the Echo last year, Rush shared: “I’d love him to extend his contract. We don’t know what will happen but I’m sure every Liverpool supporter would love that as well.”

He went on to explain his own decision to leave, stating: “I left because I wasn’t playing regularly. I just wanted to play football. I didn’t want to sit on the bench and that’s what you’ve got to look at. I left here to go to Leeds United because I wanted to be playing week in, week out.”

Reflecting on his own situation, Rush added, “I looked at [Robbie] Fowler and [Stan] Collymore, they were doing really well together, and I didn’t want to be sitting on the bench. I was enjoying my football and that’s the reason why I went to Leeds.”

However, Rush made it clear that Salah’s situation is different, saying: “But that was my situation, it depends if you are happy sitting on the bench or not. But Mo’s not even got to that stage yet so no, there’s not really any reason for him to go yet.”

At 32, Salah shows no signs of slowing down and currently sits third on Liverpool’s all-time top scorer list, though still over 100 goals behind Rush. With his contract approaching its crucial point, clubs from abroad will be able to negotiate with him starting next month.

At the Northwest Football Awards last month, Rush reiterated his desire for Salah to extend his contract, speaking to the Mail. “Mo and I talk a lot. People discuss whether he’s staying or leaving, but I just love watching him play,” Rush said.

“He’s a pleasure to watch. You might think he’s been quiet for 20 minutes, then suddenly he scores one or two goals. You can’t put a price on that. It’s something special, and he’s a special player. Everyone wants him to stay.”