It was curious to see Mohamed Salah preparing to come off the bench with 20 minutes to go in Liverpool’s 5-1 Europa League thrashing of Toulouse.
His side already three goals to the good, sitting comfortably top of the table in group play, and with most of the first choice squad rested and watching from the sidelines, many Liverpool supporters would’ve deemed it odd for Jurgen Klopp to bring on the Egyptian with the points secured.
The manager’s initial rationale became apparent when first Salah was given the armband to see out the match at Anfield, a distinction the living legend has not had nearly enough opportunities to experience in his six years at the club.
And yet, there was in fact another reason for the Reds talisman’s unusual appearance that only became apparent after he had put the finishing touches on the match with a deft finish to decide the final scoreline.
It was because with that goal, Salah’s 43rd goal across all European competition for the Reds, surpassed Thierry Henry for the most ever scored by any player for an English club in Europe’s major tournaments. To this point, Salah has scored 41 goals in the Champions League and two in the Europa League, while Henry scored 35 in the continent’s premier competition and a further seven in the UEFA Cup.
That Salah holds that record amongst so many other legends is a testament to both his bloodthirsty eye for goal, alarming durability, and his unmatched consistency and professionalism. Reds supporters must simply enjoy him while he’s here
