Klopp backs Salah’s professionalism to make him rival United idol and go on to be the world’s best for years

MO SALAH has the secret ingredient that turned Cristiano Ronaldo into one of the greatest of all time.

And according to Jurgen Klopp, who has managed top strikers like Poland hot-shot Robert Lewandowski and Pierre-emerick Aubameyang, it will help the bang-in-form

Liverpool forward to

be the world’s best for years to come.

Salah and Ronaldo go head to head in a mouthwatering showdown at Old Trafford tomorrow, with Klopp hailing Salah as “the best in the world right now.”

And this season’s statistics suggest Klopp is right.

The Egyptian has most goals per 90 minutes in the Premier League, with Manchester United striker Ronaldo second. Salah also has most goal involvements, most goals since the start of last season, most touches in the penalty area – again with Ronaldo second – and second-most assists and dribbles, with Ronaldo third.

When he was asked if Salah compares to Ronaldo in his utter dedication and obsession with being the best, Klopp replied: “Yes. You need luck, because things like injuries and stuff can happen, but I think the professionalism of both is the one thing you can compare and can say is probably the same.

“Mo is incredibly professional. He is really the first one in and very, very often the last out of all the players.

“He is constantly interested in all the things he can do to improve his standard.

“And I think he still has a lot more to give, 100 percent.”

Salah has been on fire this season, scoring in all but one of his 11 appearances (and even having a goal disallowed in that one game), putting pressure on the Anfield board to give him a new, extended contract.

Former Liverpool star Glen Johnson says they should and has tipped him to be a worldwide great for the next five years, even though he is already 29, seven years younger than Ronaldo. “The way he is playing, Liverpool definitely need to keep him,” he said.

“He looks after himself and trains right, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he goes on to have a long career like Ronaldo, and keep this form up for the next five years.” And Klopp agrees. He described both Salah and Ronaldo as “world-class, obviously,” suggesting the United player has the better right foot and his own star a superior left.

But he argued that Anfield’s Egyptian king, who this week admitted that it is his ambition to be the best in the world, has the X-factor which makes him think something special will happen every time he gets the ball...as recent goals against Atletico (below), Watford and Manchester City proved.

“It is all about the quality of Mo in this moment to do it, to try it,” Klopp said. “Atletico knew about this ability and wanted to defend it desperately and still couldn’t do it.

“That is pretty special.”

Klopp has Curtis Jones back for the visit to United, but fellow midfielder Thiago will not return to full training until next week.