Few players in Liverpool’s modern history have transformed the club quite like Mohamed Salah. Since his arrival from Roma in 2017, the Egyptian has redefined what consistency looks like at the elite level. He has reached double figures for both goals and assists in the Premier League in four separate campaigns a benchmark that only a handful of players in Europe’s top leagues can match.
Across his seven full seasons at Anfield, Salah has averaged 23 league goals a year. Last term, he was again central to Liverpool’s attack, with Arne Slot’s side finishing top of the Premier League claiming their 20th league title. Now 33, Salah shows little sign of slowing, and with a contract that runs until 2027, there is still time to enhance a legacy that already places him among the club’s all-time greats.
Yet, despite his record-breaking contribution, Salah continues to divide opinion in certain quarters. Former Liverpool winger Steve McManaman is among those who have offered a more sceptical view. McManaman, who came through the Anfield academy before enjoying a glittering spell at Real Madrid, has been asked on several occasions to compare Salah with players from past and present.
In a quick-fire quiz with GOAL winner stays on series, McManaman argued that Salah was superior to Kylian Mbappe, even if the Frenchman’s peak years may still lie ahead. But in a similar exercise with Mail Sport, the 53-year-old went in another direction, naming a different former Real Madrid star as the superior player: Gareth Bale.
When asked Bale or Salah he did not hesitate and answered: ‘Gareth”
Bale, who announced his retirement in early 2023, was part of the famed ‘BBC’ forward line alongside Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo. Across nine years in Madrid, he won five Champions League titles and regularly produced decisive contributions on the biggest stage. His spectacular overhead kick in the 2018 Champions League final against Liverpool remains one of the defining goals in the competition’s history and a painful memory for Jürgen Klopp’s side.
McManaman did not stop there. In the same segment, he placed Bale above Neymar, Arjen Robben and even Ronaldinho, though he admitted that his long-standing Liverpool loyalties meant he could never have publicly elevated a Barcelona icon.
On pure numbers, Bale’s output does not compare with Salah’s. The Welshman finished his career with fewer goals and assists despite operating in one of Europe’s most dominant teams. What he did possess, however, was a blend of raw pace, direct running and the capacity for match-winning moments — qualities Liverpool fans witnessed first-hand in Kyiv seven years ago.
Where the comparison becomes more intriguing is longevity. Bale stepped away at 33, citing a waning desire to push his body through the demands of elite football. Salah, by contrast, is the same age now but remains among the most relentless performers in the Premier League. His drive to compete, coupled with a meticulous approach to conditioning, suggests that he still has several years at the top.
In the end, the Bale versus Salah debate may say more about McManaman’s career allegiances than it does about the two players themselves. Both men have written their names into Champions League folklore and defined eras for club and country. But as Salah prepares to embark on another campaign in Liverpool red, he has the chance to do what Bale did not: to keep rewriting history well into his mid-thirties.
