Chelsea legend Joe Cole has thrown his support behind Mohamed Salah as a leading contender for this year’s Ballon d’Or.
The Liverpool and Egypt star has been in scintillating form, racking up 42 goal involvements in the Premier League this season. Salah continued his impressive run with an assist in last week’s 2-0 victory over Newcastle at Anfield.
Speaking on TNT Sports, Cole expressed his belief that Salah deserves to be in the mix for football’s most prestigious individual award.
“He’ll certainly be in the running,” he said. “The Ballon d’Or’s always very heavily loaded towards what happens in the Champions League and what happens in the final in particular.
“He is in the running – the only reason he’s not got one in his career so far is he’s been in the Messi and Ronaldo era, and Liverpool haven’t reached the latter end of the Champions League in recent years.
“What he’s done in the Premier League, he stands on the shoulders with all the giants. There’s been a lot of debate this week, your Henrys, your Cantonas, your Agueros, Gerrards – he’s standing shoulder-to-shoulder with them and in the conversation.”
Salah’s contributions have been instrumental in Liverpool’s title charge, with the Reds sitting 13 points clear of second-place Arsenal at the top of the Premier League.
Cole also praised manager Arne Slot for keeping the team focused and composed in the title race.
“Everyone else can talk about ‘have they done it, have they not done it?’ The players just carry on doing their jobs, they carry on pushing forwards,” Cole said.
“I’ve been in that situation where you’re points clear: you’re the calmest, out of all the fanbase, the owners and everyone. You’re just doing your job.
“They’ve been faultless. Arne Slot, the job he’s done, I don’t think he’s getting enough praise for it – they’ve been absolutely outstanding.”
Liverpool’s attention now shifts to the Champions League, where they face a crucial Round of 16 clash against Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday, before hosting Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday.
