BBC pundit Martin Keown heaped praise on Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah and claimed that he could potentially win the Ballon d’OR in the future.
The pundit revealed that he thought the Reds winger being able to win the prestigious personal accolade while Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were still playing would be monumental.
“Salah is as influential on Liverpool as Messi is on Barcelona,” claimed Keown in his column for the Daily Mail.
“If he continues to score important goals and wins the Champions League, he will establish himself as the top dog in Europe.
“Whether that will be enough to win the Ballon d’Or remains to be seen, Messi and Ronaldo are still the greatest, both are enjoying prolific seasons and have shown remarkable consistency.
“If Salah continues this form and stays fit for the next two or three seasons, I expect him to win a Ballon d’Or, if he can wrestle it from Messi and Ronaldo while they are still playing, it will be monumental.”
Salah arrived at Anfield in the summer from AS Roma, and has has scored 43 goals in 47 appearances during his debut season for the club.
The 25-year-old could realistically help his side lift a trophy this season, as Jurgen Klopp’s side go into the second leg of their Champions League semi-final with Roma, with the scoreline 5-2 in their favour.
OPINION
Keown went to make a bold prediction before shying away from it. The pundit tipped Salah to win the Ballon d’OR within the next two or three seasons, but what is stopping him from earning the accolade for this campaign? While it’s true that Messi and Ronaldo have been in their usual world-class form, but that doesn’t mean Salah can’t leapfrog them to snatch the award from their hands. The 25-year-old has lit up Anfield with his goals, assists and his smile as he is clearly loving his football at the moment. If Klopp’s side lift the Champions League trophy this season, it means they’re the best team in Europe and that will be largely down to Salah’s performances throughout the tournament, so he deserves an accolade such as the Ballon d’Or if that happens.