Salah’s Mo of a Kop legend than Suarez as long as he’s in no Rush to go anywhere
IAN RUSH insists Mo Salah has eclipsed Luis Suarez in the legend stakes at Liverpool but will only become one of the true Anfield greats if he stays at the club and delivers more success.
The two Kop icons are set to clash in the Champions League on Tuesday when Jurgen Klopp’s side travel to Spain to face Atletico Madrid.
Suarez, 34, scored 82 goals in his four seasons on Merseyside, collecting a European golden boot along the way and almost firing the club to a Premier League title before leaving for Barcelona in
2014.
Salah, now in his fifth campaign but in the middle of a contract dispute that has thrown his future into doubt, has been part of a far stronger team built by Klopp.
They lifted a first league title in 30 years in 2019, having collected the club’s sixth European Cup the previous season.
Salah, 29, has also managed to break into the top 10 chart in Liverpool’s all-time scorer list with 134 goals in 212 appearances.
Rush, however, is the goalscorer supreme with 346 in 660 matches in two spells at the club.
And it is that longevity which he believes sets Anfield legends apart.
On Suarez, the former Wales ace,
59, said: “In my opinion, he wasn’t there long enough when we talk about legends.
“Yes, he was fantastic. In his first season, there are only two foreign players that I’ve seen in their first season who were fantastic.
“One was Suarez, the other Fernando Torres. It normally takes a season to settle in and get to grips with it, but that first season, Suarez and Steven Gerrard together were absolutely fantastic.
“But he’s been back before with Barcelona and hopefully he won’t get a kick again.
“Suarez is still held in high regard by supporters and he deserves it.
“Torres was only there for three and a bit seasons so he’s above Torres because he was at the club longer. Look at Salah now.
“Salah above is above Suarez because he’s there longer. Talk about true legends, they’re all legends in their own way for what they did for the club but the longer you stay at the club the more of a legend you become for the supporters.
“With Salah, he has gone above them.
“Hopefully he signs a new contract and he can be up there with the elite.”
Rush added: “Liverpool are not favourites to win the Premier League but they are back in with a genuine chance of doing it again.
“The (Anfield) crowd are behind them and the players are up for it.
“They have their 12th man back.”