Speaking to Off The Ball, Mark Lawrenson has been speaking about Mohamed Salah and his performance levels in the coming years.
Salah is a player with blistering pace, but as he enters his 30s there is a slight concern that his speed will desert him and he will lose a huge element of his game.
The Egyptian will celebrate his 30th this summer, and talk of his decline has already begun.
However, according to Lawrenson, the winger can stay at this level for at least two more years due to his fitness regime and diet.
What’s been said?
Lawrenson spoke about Salah as he ages.
“I would think he has at least a couple of more years, I say about their diet now and they’re so well looked after these lads. Yes, they train hard, but they train hard at the start of the season. Klopp takes them away to the mountains and they do triple sessions and get on with it. That gets you ready for the whole season. I think at 31, 32, it’s not an issue anymore. His contract is still an issue and I think that’s over money, whether that will be sorted, I’m not sure,” Lawrenson said.
Unpredictable
It’s incredibly hard to call what will happen to a footballer once they reach their 30s these days.
For some, such as Karim Benzema, Robert Lewandowski and Jamie Vardy, they hit their peaks in their advanced years, but for others, such as Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen, the drop-off in quality is dramatic.
Salah certainly has the talent to be a star for years to come, but the main problem will come if his pace does desert him.
Fortunately, there’s no sign of that happening at the moment, but as he gets older, this could be an issue.
As Lawrenson says though, Salah should be able to keep this level up for at least two more years.
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