'Go the right way!' - Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard reveals exit advice to Mohamed Salah after Egyptian's infamous bombshell interview

The Egyptian superstar recently shocked the footballing world by confirming he will leave Anfield at the end of the current campaign, but his final season has been marred by friction with Liverpool head coach Slot. Their relationship reached a breaking point in December after Salah was left on the bench for a string of matches, culminating in an explosive interview following a 3-3 draw with Leeds United at Elland Road. Going public with his frustrations, the 33-year-old forward lambasted Slot and accused the club of throwing him "under the bus."

Sensing that a club legend was at risk of tarnishing his legacy, Gerrard took it upon himself to intervene. Speaking on The Overlap, the former Liverpool captain revealed: "I spoke to him around that interview at the time. I said 'Don't do what you've done and go under a cloud' - yeah I spoke to him direct. He texts me every now and again or I text him now and again, more if I am going somewhere with Leo (Gerrard's son) just so Leo can see him. 

"But it gave me the opportunity to say to him, 'You've been here for eight or nine years. You've been a king here, you've got this legacy. Go on your terms, the right way'. He was still a little emotional at the time from the incidents. He was a sub, he was in and out of the team at the time, he was upset. I thought it would have been a shame if he left in January and he just left."

With Salah's departure now confirmed for the end of the season, attention has turned to how the Reds will replace a man who has netted 250 goals for the club. Gerrard believes there is no room for a developmental project and that the recruitment team must aim for the very top of the market. "You have to buy someone who is box office, or you are not replacing him. They have to be top-end, top three [or] four wingers in the world to replace Salah because that’s what Mo has been," he recently noted, amid reports linking the club with a massive move for Bayern Munich star Michael Olise.

Despite the fireworks earlier in the campaign, attention now turns to ensuring the forward receives a hero’s farewell. With a potential free transfer to the Saudi Pro League looming, his legacy is already secured by two Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy. As Gerrard insisted, a player of his stature deserves to walk out the front door. The Egyptian will now look to put the recent drama behind him and finish out his historic nine-year stint on Merseyside on a high.