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Wayne Rooney has criticised Mohamed Salah for his public comments about Liverpool, stating the Egyptian forward is destroying his legacy at the club after claiming he felt “thrown under the bus” by manager Arne Slot and revealing their relationship had broken down.
Wayne Rooney Says Mohamed Salah Destroying Liverpool Legacy With Public Comments
The former Manchester United striker believes Slot must demonstrate his authority by excluding Salah from Liverpool’s next two fixtures, Tuesday’s Champions League match at Inter Milan and Saturday’s home game against Brighton. Rooney stated that if he were in Slot’s position, there would be “no way” Salah would remain in the team following his public criticism of the club and manager.
Salah made his controversial comments after Saturday’s 3-3 draw at Leeds United, where he was an unused substitute. The 33-year-old told reporters that his relationship with Slot had suddenly deteriorated, saying “I had a good relationship with the manager, and all of a sudden we don’t have any relationship.” He added that he felt the club wanted him to “get all of the blame” for recent poor results.
Rooney questioned Salah’s decision to air his grievances publicly, particularly his claim that he should not have to fight for his position because he had “earned it” through previous performances. The former England forward argued that every player must prove themselves weekly regardless of past achievements, describing Salah’s attitude as “arrogance” that would be disrespectful to teammates, the manager and supporters.
The criticism comes as Liverpool struggle in Slot’s second season, sitting ninth in the Premier League table and 10 points behind leaders Arsenal after winning just seven of their opening 15 games. Salah, who scored 29 Premier League goals last season to help Liverpool win the title, has managed only four goals in 13 top-flight appearances this campaign and has not scored since 1 November.
Rooney warned that Salah’s comments could create negative energy around the training ground and affect the new players Slot has integrated into the squad. The five-time Premier League winner predicted that Salah would regret his public statements, suggesting the forward needs to either resolve his differences with Slot or leave Liverpool to end the damaging situation for all parties involved.
