Heskey believes Mohamed Salah’s decline has been years in the making
Liverpool legend Emile Heskey has expressed concern about Mohamed Salah’s form, suggesting the Egyptian forward’s decline began several seasons ago rather than this year.
Despite his status as one of Liverpool’s greatest-ever players, Salah’s numbers have dipped this season.
He has scored only three Premier League goals so far, half of what he managed at the same stage last term.
The 33-year-old’s strike against Brentford last week took his total to 275 goal involvements in the Premier League, just one short of Wayne Rooney’s all-time record for a single club.
Heskey, speaking to 10bet Casino, believes Salah’s reduced impact is part of a gradual process linked to age rather than a sudden loss of ability.
“Yes, he’s out of form, but there’s some decline that is inevitable as you get older,” Heskey explained. “It’s not sudden, it’s been going on for two or three seasons.”
He added that Salah’s goals in previous years often masked inconsistent performances.
“There have been games where he hasn’t done well, but he’s scored and we overlook the rest of the performance. Now, when he isn’t scoring, we notice.”
Salah remains Liverpool’s joint-second top scorer this season with four goals, underlining both his enduring importance and the team’s broader attacking struggles under Arne Slot.
Heskey admitted it is difficult for any manager to substitute Salah even when he is struggling to influence games.
“He’s one of those players you never want to take off because he’s always a threat,” Heskey said. “But if he doesn’t score, he can look anonymous, like you’re playing with ten men.”
Liverpool’s faltering title hopes have intensified scrutiny on Salah’s form. Yet Heskey insists the forward’s professionalism will ensure he remains valuable to the team, even as his output declines.
