Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah is ruining his legacy at the club with his acrimonious reaction to being left out of the squad, former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has said.
Salah has not featured in the starting line-up for the last three games and hit out at the club and coach Arne Sloto after Saturday’s 3-3 draw with Leeds United in the Premier League.
He claimed he was made a scapegoat for a bad start to the season.
VIDEO: Editing of the match Leeds – Liverpool
The Egyptian, who signed a two-year contract extension in April, became an iconic figure during his eight years at Liverpool, during which he won two Premier League titles and scored 250 goals in all competitions.
However, he has scored just five goals this season and made 19 appearances in all competitions.
“He’s absolutely destroying his legacy at Liverpool,” Rooney said on his podcast. “It would be sad if he threw it all away. He went into it all wrong.
“Arne Slot has to show authority and call him out: ‘You are not traveling with the team, what you said is unacceptable.’
“Go to the Africa Cup of Nations and let everything calm down. If I were him, I certainly wouldn’t have included him in the team.”
Salah said he felt as if he had been “thrown under the bus” as Liverpool failed to replicate the form of last season’s Championship.
They are ninth in the current season, 10 points behind leaders Arsenal after 15 games.
“If anything, he threw Liverpool under the bus with his words…,” said Rooney. “I’m sure he’ll regret saying that in years to come.”
