Rio Ferdinand refuses to call Mo Salah the best-ever EPL player
Mohamed Salah has been stellar since he joined Liverpool on a £36.5 million transfer from Fiorentina. It was a club-record fee then, but it has ended up being one of the best deals in Premier League history. Since then, the Egyptian forward has scored 241 goals and dished out 109 assists across all competitions.
In the current 2024-25 season, Salah is leading a title charge for Liverpool. It would be his second Premier League trophy, making a case for being among the top superstars in the English top flight. However, fellow EPL legend Rio Ferdinand disagrees with calling the winger the greatest the league has ever seen.
The Premier League has been a home for legends
Considering that England’s top flight is the biggest domestic league in the world, it is hard to deny that it has quality. This can be seen in how many stars have come through the ranks like Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suárez, Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, and more. With that quality of names, Salah is up there with the all-time greats. However, Ferdinand has both Henry and Ronaldo over him.
‘No chance. He’s not ahead of Thierry Henry and Cristiano Ronaldo… Stats-wise and consistency-wise he is in the conversation, in the top three definitely, but in terms of someone who excites me, the maverick, that’s what elevates them for me to be the best’, Rio said.
That is almost a unanimous opinion across the football world barring Liverpool fans. Arsenal’s Henry was a magical player, who starred in the league with his superb skill set and undeniable aura.
Ronaldo was a super talent unearthed by Manchester United from Portugal. He won one of many Ballon D’or awards in 2008 while playing for the Red Devils. While Salah can replicate that achievement this year, he will still likely be behind Henry and Ronaldo for most people.
Salah is a proven Premier League legend
Despite Rio and his colleagues not calling him the greatest-ever Premier League player, it should be noted that they respect what Salah has done. Leading Liverpool to unprecedented success in the Premier League era is something that even a legend like Steven Gerrard failed to do.
Salah is now on pace to do it twice during his spell for the Reds. He may never reach the same popularity as Henry or Ronaldo during their pomp in the Premier League, but Salah does not need to prove himself to anyone any more.
He has cemented himself as a legend in England’s top league, and he will be fondly remembered as the greatest Egyptian and potentially the best African-born player in the competition’s history.
