Michael Owen has backed Mohamed Salah to rival Ian Rush as Liverpool's all-time leading goalscorer - but only if he signs a new contract
Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring Liverpool's fourth goal during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring Liverpool's fourth goal during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Michael Owen has predicted that Mohamed Salah will end up threatening Ian Rush’s all-time scoring record for Liverpool - providing he signs a new contract with the club. The Egyptian’s current deal expires next summer with his future the subject of ongoing speculation as a result.
The 32-year-old is not letting the saga distract him on the pitch though, having put in another electrifying display in the Reds’ 6-3 thrashing of Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Registering two goals and two assists, Salah now boasts 18 goals and 15 assists from just 24 appearances so far this season. He also leads the way for both the Premier League Golden Boot and Playermaker awards after becoming the first player ever to record double-figures for goals and assists before Christmas.
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The forward moved up to fourth in Liverpool’s all-time scoring charts on Sunday, with his brace seeing him overtake the legendary Billy Liddell. Now boasting 229 goals, he is well-placed to have climbed up further to third by the end of the season with Gordon Hodgson the next man in his sights with 241 goals.
And Owen, who now sits ninth on the list after already being overtaken by Salah, is backing the Egyptian, if he signs a new contract, to rival Rush at the very top of the Reds’ scoring charts.
“Numbers don’t lie,” he told Premier League productions. “It’s quite easy to say that he’s one of the all-time greats already for Liverpool.
“He’s not slowing down, he’s not stopping. If he signs a new contract, then he’ll be in the top three in no time.
“And then maybe one day, he’ll even be threatening the Ian Rush record. I never thought I’d say that!”