Shock and admiration as Oxlade-Chamberlain reacts to Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool exit

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has revealed his surprise at Mohamed Salah’s impending departure from Liverpool FC, bringing into focus both the end of an era at Anfield and the extraordinary standards that defined the Egyptian forward’s reign.

The decision, confirmed earlier this week, will see Salah leave the club this summer after nine prolific years that reshaped Liverpool’s modern identity and redefined expectations for elite forwards in the Premier League.

For Oxlade-Chamberlain, who shared a dressing room with Salah during some of Liverpool’s most successful recent campaigns, the news came as a genuine shock.

“I was a bit shocked because he is the type of guy that you just think will never stop. What Mo has achieved there at Liverpool is unprecedented,” he said.

Salah’s numbers, consistency and influence elevated him into a rare bracket of attacking players, drawing comparisons with global icons such as Cristiano Ronaldo.

Beyond the statistics, Oxlade-Chamberlain pointed to Salah’s unique ability to influence matches regardless of form, describing a player capable of deciding games even on off days.

That knack, coupled with a relentless mentality, underpinned a career resurgence that began after difficult spells at Chelsea FC and in Italy. At Liverpool, Salah evolved into one of the most decisive players in world football, blending efficiency with an elite psychological edge.

The former England international also offered a rare glimpse into the discipline that fueled Salah’s sustained excellence. According to Oxlade-Chamberlain, Salah’s approach off the pitch bordered on obsession, with a daily routine meticulously designed to maximise performance.

“He could have a terrible game and score two goals and win you the game. That’s special. If I’m not feeling it on the day, I’m not scoring two goals. Everything needs to be clicking.

“If he was having a good game or a bad game, he had a mindset and a mentality that was just elite to not get too hard on himself, doesn’t get too high, doesn’t get too low, always ready in the moment.

“That’s a special attribute that I saw from him. And that is the only way you can produce what he produces, not to mention that he lives and breathes the game.

“Off the pitch, like every little stone is turned. In terms of professionals, I have never seen anyone do what Mo does every hour of the day to the point where I straight up look at him and think: ‘I don’t think I could do that and fair play.’

“He comes off the pitch, he’s installed ice baths, ice chambers, cryo chambers in his house and red light therapy and he is from one thing to the next. He definitely doesn’t play golf or anything in his free time. He ain’t got time for anything else!

“The number of times I used to before training get up for a coffee, I’m seeing Mo running through a tunnel before training with his hat on, like Rocky. I’m putting my window up going: ‘Mo, what are you doing?’ He’s like: ‘I’m just loosening off before training.’

“He’ll go to training, he’s the first in the gym. Then he trains how he trains. He’s in the gym doing treatment, therapy, whatever, doing another gym session. It is an obsession. You’ve got to give someone like that credit.”