18 January 2024 , 18:23
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Cesc Fabregas has revealed that the Chelsea dressing room were left raving over Mohamed Salah after he scored a brilliant goal while on loan at Fiorentina.
Salah arrived at Stamford Bridge from Basel in 2013, but scored just two goals in 19 games as he struggled for opportunities. After making just eight appearances across the first-half of the 2014/2015 season, Salah was sent out on loan to Fiorentina.
It was a move that prove to be the making of the Egyptian as he earned regular chances, scoring nine goals. And one striker in particular caught the eye of his former team-mates at Stamford Bridge.
Fabregas was one of the players in the Blues dressing room at the time, having seen the Egyptian fail to make the grade. But after scoring a wondergoal while with La Viola, Salah was the talk of the town back at his parent club.
"He’s a very special talent. I played with him at Chelsea for six months. He is a top guy as well and has a good mentality. I am happy for him. as he is a very, very hard worker. He believed in his talent, went away and found his way," he the Planet Premier League podcast.
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"Now he is showing everyone how good he is. Maybe it was lack of chances [at Chelsea]. You could see his trends. You could see he was quick. You could see that he was attacking the spaces.
"But then when he had one against ones, maybe he was not as strong as he is now. He was not so prolific in front of goal. Players need chances, they need someone to believe in you and he's had that at Liverpool.
Salah struggled at Chelsea but starred on loan at Fiorentina (Getty Images)"He had that at Fiorentina where he went on loan for six months to show how good he is. I remember a solo goal he did there as soon as he arrived. We were all in the dressing room 'Oh my God did you see Mo's goal? He never did that here!' We were talking like this."
Salah would ultimately end up leaving for Roma on a permanent deal in 2016, before being bought by Liverpool a year later. He is now starring for the Reds as they embark on another title challenge, with boss Jurgen Klopp hailing the attacker.
"Nobody should be now really surprised that Mo can change a game, can improve in a game and all these kinds of things, because he did it just hundreds of times," Klopp said after Salah scored twice in a win over Newcastle a fortnight ago.
"But it’s just a really good example; the more goals you have, the more you are used to missing chances, even when it’s a penalty. And the more you just understand what you have to do: keep going and if necessary keep improving, using situations better. And that’s what Mo did.
"Because I got asked that question now plenty of times and when we talk about Mo and again two goals. Super game, from start to finish, with 10 minutes in the first half, I would say, after 35 minutes – disallowed goal, missed a pen, super-high intensity, level dropped slightly.
"Got into the second half and started pretty much there where we finished after 35 minutes. Scored the first, relief too big, 1-1. Scored a second, scored the third, relief too big, 3-2. We take that for tonight and keep going."