"I knew" - Micah Richards has not been surprised by Mohamed Salah's rise

Former Fiorentina defender Micah Richards has claimed that he always knew Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah would turn into a fine player.

The Reds signed the Egyptian international from Roma for a transfer fee of £37.80 million back in the summer of 2017.

Since then, Salah has scored 155 goals and registered 63 assists in 250 appearances for Liverpool's first-team.

The 29-year-old has also won the Premier League Golden Boot on two occasions. Richards, who played with Salah at Fiorentina in the early parts of 2015, said that he could see a potential great forward during training sessions.

As quoted by HITC, he told the Match of the Day Top 10 Podcast the following: “Straight away (I knew he'd be a top player), I knew because he was always in the right position to score goals.

"He could dribble and he was fast and all that. He would score like 10 goals in training, one minute you thought you had him and the next he’s just there."

Anfield Watch Verdict

Salah was a decent player at Fiorentina. He found the back of the net nine times and secured four assists in 26 appearances for the club.

But, as we have already pointed out, Salah has gone to another level at Liverpool.

The Egyptian international's current contract expires at the conclusion of next season. It has been reported that Salah has been offered a new deal by the club.

However, an agreement is yet to be reached by both parties. We really do hope that Salah does not leave Liverpool.

The reality is, it is not easy replacing a player of his ability. Also, Salah is only 29 years of age, so his career is far from finished.

Only time will tell where the forward's long-term future lies.