Rio Ferdinand has stuck up for Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, after he was labelled as a diver on Five’s Youtube channel.
Salah has constantly been criticised by rival supporters for going down too easily, almost ever since he arrived at Liverpool.
The clinical attacker now seems to have built up a reputation as a player who has a tendency to go down far too easily.
But Ferdinand was quick to defend Liverpool’s forward, by citing Wayne Rooney as a player who used to dive a lot.
“Does that take away from him, his diving. I can’t stomach his diving, it’s pathetic,” Ferdinand was asked.
And he responded: “Listen man, all England players used to dive.
“Wazza used to dive sometimes. Just because he was a madman and tackled people like a nutter sometimes, Wazza used to dive. Ask Joel about the Invincible team when we got a penalty at Old Trafford!
“They all dive here and there, there’s none of them strikers that don’t. They love it.”
Salah may indeed feel slightly hard done by over some of the criticism that he has taken for his ‘diving’.
Liverpool fans always argue that Salah is no different to many other forwards in the Premier League, who receive less attention.
Regardless of where you stand on Salah’s tendency to go down, what cannot be questioned is quality.
The Egyptian has continued to score prolifically this term, even with Liverpool not in top gear, and Jurgen Klopp’s side will be looking for him to cause problems tonight, when they take on Real Madrid in the Champions League.
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