Jurgen Klopp says Mo Salah is on route to being classed at the same level as Lionel Messi
Liverpool ace struck another four goals against Watford as his brilliant form continues and Reds boss Klopp admits it is easy to see why he has been compared to Barcelona legend Messi
JURGEN KLOPP claims Mo Salah is on course to be classed at the same level as Lionel Messi.
Liverpool boss Klopp admits Salah's displays in his first season at Anfield mean it is hard to ignore him being spoken about as one of the best players around.
Salah turned on the style again on Saturday as he struck four goals in Liverpool's 5-0 Premier League win over Watford.
And afterwards Klopp was asked if Salah should be rated in the same breath as brilliant Barcelona star Messi.
Klopp said: "I think Mo is on the way.
"I don't think Mo or anybody else wants to be compared with Lionel Messi - he is the one who has been doing what he's been doing for what feels like 20 years or so.
"The last player I know who had the same influence on a team performance was Diego Maradona.
"But Mo is in a fantastic way, that's for sure. As it always is in life, if you have to have the skills you have to show that constantly and consistently, and he is very good. He helps us a lot.
MO'S SO SORRY Mo Salah apologises to Orestis Karnezis after scoring past him in Liverpool rout
"The boys love playing together with him, he loves playing with them so it's good.
"He gave us a good four goals. I think that's quite exceptional and another good performance.
"We had to cope and deal with difficult conditions. It was slippery. Everybody suffered but not Mo in that situation. That is really special."
Salah, 25, has been a revelation on Merseyside since he joined the club from Roma in a £36.9million deal last summer.
He has scored 36 goals in call competitions, more than any other player in the history of the club in their debut season.
And with 28 Premier League goals to his name the Egyptian is four clear of Harry Kane in the race to finish as this season's leading scorer.
Salah still has a further eight league games to go to add to that tally in the league, and will be the main Reds threat when the club face Manchester City in the Champions League quarter-finals next month.