Michael Owen blasts Mohamed Salah for going public with Liverpool gripes

Michael Owen has blasted Mohamed Salah for choosing to take his gripes with the Liverpool hierarchy public in an explosive interview on Sunday.

Salah went to the media after being benched for a third consecutive outing in Liverpool’s 3-3 draw at Leeds on Sunday, claiming to have been thrown “under the bus” by the club and that he doesn’t have a relationship with manager Arne Slot anymore.

The Egyptian has opened the door to an imminent Anfield exit when he returns from the Africa Cup of Nations in January, which would see Liverpool’s third all-time top goalscorer leave the club on sour terms.

Michael Owen experienced such an imperfect departure when he swapped boyhood club Liverpool for Real Madrid in 2004 - and while he previously came to the aid of the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold when he made the same move to the ire of Reds fans, Owen cannot defend the actions of Salah.

“Oh Mo Salah,” he wrote on X. “I can imagine how you feel. You’ve carried this team for a long time and won everything there is to win.

“But this is a team game and you simply can’t publicly say what you’ve said. You’re going to Afcon in a week. Surely you bite your lip, enjoy representing your country and see how the land lies when you get back?”

Salah, who signed a lucrative two-year contract in April, felt Liverpool turned on him while saying he was not sure why he had been dropped in what he called an unacceptable situation for him.

“It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus,” said the Egyptian at Elland Road. “That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame.

“I got a lot of promises in the summer and so far I am in the bench for three games so I can’t say they keep the promise.

“I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden, we don’t have any relationship. I don’t know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn’t want me in the club.

“It is not acceptable for me. I don’t know why this is happening to me. I don’t get it. I think if this was somewhere else, every club would protect its player.”