Alexis Mac Allister has lifted the lid on what it’s like training alongside Mohamed Salah and admitted there’s one challenge he simply can’t win.
The Argentine midfielder has been a teammate of Salah’s for two years, long enough to witness the Egyptian’s incredible standards up close.
In a piece for The Players’ Tribune, Mac Allister called Salah “the best professional I’ve ever seen” and revealed how the 33-year-old’s work ethic in the gym left him stunned.
Mac Allister recalled trying to beat Salah to the training facility each morning, but finding it “impossible” as the forward was always there first, already sweating.
“Mo, he’s hilarious. For a few weeks, I actually tried to get to the gym before him, but it was impossible. He was always there already, sweating.
“One day, I asked him, ‘But Mo… when do you sleep?’” Mac Allister said.
“He said, ‘I don’t like it when I get more than seven hours. I feel tired.’”
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Mac Allister on competing with a “monster”
Salah’s dedication didn’t stop with early starts.
Mac Allister remembered sessions where the No.11 would spend an hour on abs before beginning his “real” workout.
The midfielder, then 24, tried to keep pace with his older teammate but admitted defeat after just three sessions.
“I was so sore I could barely sit up in bed the next morning,” he laughed.
“Mo sets the tone for everyone at Liverpool. He is the best professional I’ve ever seen. He’s a monster,” Mac Allister added.
Even at 33, Salah continues to deliver at the highest level, a reason Liverpool handed him a rare two-year contract extension worth £400,000 a week in April.
While he faced criticism for a subdued performance in the Community Shield, Mac Allister’s insight shows why Salah’s consistency over the years is unmatched and why his influence extends far beyond match days.
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