How Arne Slot and Richard Hughes kept Mo Salah HUNGRY

Ever since Mohamed Salah stepped foot on Merseyside, fans have been nothing but stunned by what he's been able to deliver for the club.

That debut 2017/18 season bore witness to a record breaking campaign, where the Egyptian broke the goalscoring record for a 38-game season (at the time), winning the golden boot in the process.

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He then backed up that campaign with another golden boot trophy to add to his collection, this time sharing the honour with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and his teammate Sadio Mane.

Two seasons then went by where his level stayed consistent, but not enough to reach the heights of previous years, before we got to 2021/22 - having worked on his game to become less of a 'selfish' player, he took home both the golden boot and the playmaker award.

And now we've reached this season, where Salah had to readjust to working under a new manager for the first time in seven years. What came next will be remembered for years to come.

How Liverpool reinvigorated the club's talisman

With the knowledge that he might leave at the end of the season, it was plausible that Salah could deliver another standard season of goal contributions (which would still have been impressive), before he quietly left the club and moved onto pastures new.

Had he have done so, the Reds might have finished in the top four - which again would've been perfectly acceptable given it was Arne Slot's first season in charge - but we would be sitting here feeling pretty lost about what the future of the club was going to look like.

Salah might not have signed, because the executives might not have felt convinced enough to offer him an acceptable deal, and the Egyptian's legacy might have been overlooked by rival fans as time went on.

But instead, the opposite happened. Liverpool worked closely with Salah to keep him hungry for more success and the winger decided to actively chase a new contract rather than sit back and wait for one.

Paul Joyce has reported for The Times about how the club pulled the manoeuvre off.

He wrote: "[Arne] Slot's individual sessions have helped to reinvigorate Salah. Being told where and how he can improve has been refreshing for an elite player.

"A desire to prove he was worth a new two-year contract also had a bearing on his displays. He started this season with a goal and an assist against Ipswich. He has not stopped scoring and creating ever since.

"Given the numbers he has posted, it is ironic that team-mates have recognised a shift in Salah’s mindset away from someone obsessed with chasing the Golden Boot. He has become more team orientated, perhaps not in terms of chasing back but in providing assists."

As Joyce admits, it is certainly ironic that Salah is not actively chasing the golden boot, because he almost has no chance of being caught with just four games of the season to go.

Right now, he is on 28 goals and 18 assists - six goals ahead of Alexander Isak and seven assists of Jacob Murphy - which is a tally that sits just one away from breaking the Premier League's all-time goal contribution record for a season (Alan Shearer's 47 goals and assists in 42-game season).

This season's golden boot would be the fourth of his Liverpool career, and the playmaker award would be his second, with both honours occurring in a season where Salah has topped both metrics.

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His dedication to the club is unrivalled. Following a disappoint campaign last season, he posted to social media, writing: "We know that trophies are what count and we will do everything possible to make that happen next season. Our fans deserve it and we will fight like hell."

As well all know, what followed was the Premier League title, masterminded by a truly monumental attacking effort from Salah. And before the trophy has even been lifted, he's already eyeing more success.

On Tuesday, he took to social media again with another plea to the fans.

This time, he said: "This is what we wanted to deliver to our fans more than anything. This is a club that should always compete for everything and be right at the top. No excuses. All teams win games, but in the end there's only one champions. That's what history remembers and this applies to next season as well."

In Salah, one thing is very clear. Liverpool have a once in a generation player. An all-time great who wants nothing but the best for the club. His mentality should never be questioned and his addiction to success is what has led to him signing a new two-year contract. Long may his excellence continue.

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