Heavy metal ‘hand grenades’! Why Mohamed Salah comments rock Liverpool as Michael Owen reacts to latest blast from departing Egyptian superstar

After nine memorable years at Anfield - which have delivered two Premier League titles, a Champions League crown, four Golden Boots and three PFA Player of the Year awards - Salah is preparing to bid his farewells on Merseyside.

The decision has been made to terminate his contract 12 months before it was due to expire, with the 33-year-old forward being allowed to move on and embrace a new challenge - amid links to teams in Europe, MLS and the Saudi Pro League.

He will leave as a modern day Reds legend, having netted over 250 goals for the club, but has endured a testing final campaign. After being demoted to bench duty late in 2025, Salah accused Liverpool and their coaching staff of throwing him under the bus.

Salah has since said in a statement posted on social media: "I have witnessed this club go from doubters to believers, and from believers to champions. It took hard work and I always did everything I could to help the club get there. Nothing makes me prouder than that.

“Us crumbling to yet another defeat this season was very painful and not what our fans deserve. I want to see Liverpool go back to being the heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear and back to being a team that wins trophies.”

Plenty have been quick to condemn Salah for speaking out while he remains tied to the Reds. His frustration is, however, entirely justified, with Liverpool having tumbled off a Premier League title-winning perch to languish in fifth this time around after rewriting the record books with an elaborate spending spree in the summer transfer window of 2025.

Quizzed on whether Salah’s latest outburst can be considered understandable or unhelpful, former Liverpool striker Owen - who is UK ambassador for the online casino comparison site Casino.org - told GOAL: “Both. Understandable? Yes. Do I agree with them? Yeah. But would I say it? No.

“That's the whole point. I don't think it was a wise thing for him to say, even though he's probably right. But listen, of course Liverpool fans want to see better footballers. Of course they want to see better results. And yeah, of course they don't want to be a team that win one and lose one.

“There was nothing that he said that was wrong, it was just that he said it. That was the thing.

“I think the problem with Mo Salah is obviously he rarely speaks. But when he does speak, he's dropping hand grenades. If he spoke all the time, then it might not come as a massive shock. But whatever he's going to say, it's huge, huge news. And obviously if it's always disparaging, let's say towards the club or towards a manager or whatever, then it just goes nuclear in many ways.

“So yeah, I agree with everything he said, but I don't agree with him saying it because what help is it doing to anybody? It's just not.”

Another Reds legend, Jamie Carragher, has branded Salah “selfish” and admitted that he is not surprised that the ‘Egyptian King’ has dropped a “bomb” on his way out of Anfield - with said behaviour being likened to that of Cristiano Ronaldo when the Portuguese GOAT forced a premature exit from Manchester United in 2022.

Owen shares the belief that such comments do nobody any favours, as unnecessary debates are sparked in public, but Salah has made some very valid points and everybody at Liverpool recognises that collective standards need to be raised in 2026-27.