Mohamed Salah is 'motivated' by Golden Boot race, says Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp

‘He’s a striker, how can it not be a motivation for him?’: Mohamed Salah is keen to win the Golden Boot for a third year running, according to Jurgen Klopp… after Graeme Souness praised him for being ‘greedy’ in two-goal display at Brighton

  • Liverpool beat Brighton 3-1 on Wednesday with Mohamed Salah scoring twice
  • Graeme Souness praised him after a ‘selfish’ display on the south coast
  • Jurgen Klopp believes Salah is being motivated by the Golden Boot race 

Mohamed Salah is taking motivation from the race for the Premier League Golden Boot, according to Jurgen Klopp.

The Liverpool forward scored twice against Brighton on Wednesday night as his side beat Brighton 3-1, with Graeme Souness claiming he had been ‘selfish’ after the game.

But it was a form of praise from the former midfielder, who said ‘all goalscorers are greedy’.

Mohamed Salah scored twice against Brighton on Wednesday night as Liverpool won 3-1

Mohamed Salah scored twice against Brighton on Wednesday night as Liverpool won 3-1

Jurgen Klopp says Salah is taking motivation from the race for the Premier League Golden Boot

Jurgen Klopp says Salah is taking motivation from the race for the Premier League Golden Boot

With the title wrapped up, Souness suggested Salah was looking to win the Golden Boot for the third straight season, having picked it up by himself in his first season at Anfield.

He then shared the award with team-mate Sadio Mane and Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang last campaign.

Now with 19 goals to his name, he is trying to chase down Aubameyang (20) and Jamie Vardy (22) – and Klopp suggested it was ‘important’ to him.

‘He’s a striker, how can it not be a motivation for him? That’s clear,’ he said.

Salah opened the scoring with a left-footed strike early on in the game at the AMEX Stadium

Salah opened the scoring with a left-footed strike early on in the game at the AMEX Stadium

The Egyptian forward has now scored 19 goals as he looks to secure the individual honour

The Egyptian forward has now scored 19 goals as he looks to secure the individual honour

GOLDEN BOOT RACE 

1. Jamie Vardy (Leicester) – 22 goals

2. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal) – 20 goals

3. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – 19 goals

4. Danny Ings (Southampton) – 18 goals

5. Sadio Mane (Liverpool) – 16 goals 

‘In the last two years he won the Golden Boot, last year he shared it with Sadio and with Auba. That’s always important, it’s important for Sadio and all that stuff is normal.

‘In the end you can only score goals when you perform well and he did that so that was really good and apart from that it’s all fine.

‘If you are too focused on goals, not that they are, but if you are too focused on goals you don’t move enough that you can be in the right situations but the goals he scored were really good and he had a lot to move and score the goals. 

‘That’s nice, could have scored more, that’s true, but that’s pretty much all.’

Souness made it clear after the game on Sky Sports that he backed Salah’s selfishness: ‘He was at it tonight, wasn’t he? From the first minute.

‘It’s important to him, you see his reaction when people weren’t finding him late on in the game. 

‘He was shooting at every opportunity, his team-mates wouldn’t have been happy on two or three occasions. 

‘Tonight he’s been selfish but that’s because he wants that Golden Boot. 

‘They’ve won the league title, he’s done his part and he thinks it’s there for him. (Sadio) Mane has fallen out with him in the past on occasions where he feels he should have passed to him. 

‘All goalscorers are greedy at times, I think he takes it to another level.’  

Souness felt that Salah should target the scoring title with the Premier League wrapped up

Souness felt that Salah should target the scoring title with the Premier League wrapped up

As Souness touched on in his analysis, while he was full of praise for Salah’s selfishness, it has caused problems on occasion this season, none more public than with Sadio Mane away at Burnley back in August. 

Mane was visibly frustrated with Salah when he was not given the ball in the final stages of a win at Turf Moor. 

Liverpool were up 3-0 at that moment and bearing down on goal, Salah elected to try his luck himself rather than square unselfishly for Mane, who was still seething when he was taken off and subbed by Jurgen Klopp. 

The pair later addressed that the incident was ‘forgotten’ and they have clearly buried it having been a dominant force en route to their first league title in 30 years.

Sadio Mane was furious with Salah after he failed to pass to him in the match against Burnley

Sadio Mane was furious with Salah after he failed to pass to him in the match against Burnley

source: dailymail.co.uk