Sky Sports Daily pundit Tony Cascarino has hailed Mohamed Salah as “such a credit to the game” following his conduct in Liverpool’s 4-0 hammering of Bournemouth.
The former striker was blown away by the Egyptian forward’s outstanding performance but also his muted goal celebrations and refusing to go to ground after being fouled for the second goal of his hat-trick.
“Why do I love Mohamed Salah? Just look at his second goal against Bournemouth,” Cascarino told the Times. “He was clearly fouled by Steve Cook but he didn’t go to ground like 99.9 per cent of players would have.
“He stayed on his feet and then shot beyond Asmir Begovic, with the help of a slight deflection. The Liverpool forward completely goes against the stereotype of modern footballers.
“He doesn’t celebrate goals that emphatically; he never whips his shirt off or parades around the pitch. He is very gracious and I think that is why even opposition fans respect him. That’s one of the reasons why I like him so much and think that he is such a credit to the game.”
OPINION
Salah is a brilliant example to kids. Obviously, his performance against Bournemouth was exceptional, his best since he put Roma to the sword in the Champions League semi-finals last season. It gives Liverpool fans real hope they can push a brilliant Manchester City side all the way in the title race that promises to be a two-horse race rather than the procession it would be in every other season of the Premier League era. Jurgen Klopp’s side have churned out the results superbly without quite hitting the white-heat high of their most wondrous 2017-18 performances. But Salah at his best gives them a world beater who scares the living daylights out of even the best opponents. The 26-year-old has such a pleasing humility, too. He’s tough, doesn’t dive or cheat, and doesn’t wind up opposition fans with gloating or over-elaborate celebrations. Some Liverpool fans wanted more smiles from Mo after his stunning demolition of Bournemouth. But his conduct does himself and his club great credit.