Rooney says Salah’s public outburst is damaging his Liverpool legacy

Former England striker Wayne Rooney has warned that Mohamed Salah is putting his long-established Liverpool legacy at risk after the forward openly criticized the club and head coach Arne Slot.

Salah had said at the weekend that he felt the club had “thrown him under the bus,” claiming his relationship with Slot had deteriorated. His remarks sparked immediate debate, especially with Liverpool preparing for a Champions League game against Inter Milan on Tuesday.

Rooney, reacting in an episode of his podcast and quoted in a Monday report by BBC Sport, said Slot cannot ignore the situation and must take decisive action to avoid losing control of the dressing room.

Rooney: “He shouldn’t be in the squad right now”

He argued that Salah should not be involved in the next two matches, insisting that the manager needs to set boundaries after such a public confrontation.

“Arne Slot has to show his authority. Pull him in and tell him, ‘You’re not travelling with the team. What you said is not acceptable,’” Rooney said. “Take yourself off to Afcon and let everything calm down. If I was him, there’s no way he would be in the team.”

Rooney said the dispute must be resolved quickly, either through a conversation that resets the relationship or a decision that allows both parties to move on.

Salah Under Fire As Liverpool Struggle To Find Their Spark

“It needs to be sorted out quickly either way,” he said.

He also questioned the timing of Salah’s comments, noting that the Egyptian has spent years building his reputation at the club since joining from Roma in 2017.

“He is absolutely destroying his legacy at Liverpool,” Rooney added. “It would be sad for him to throw it all away. He’s gone about it all wrong.”

Salah previously complained about reduced minutes this season, suggesting someone within the club wants him blamed for recent setbacks, remarks that have now intensified scrutiny around Liverpool’s dressing-room atmosphere and Slot’s control of the squad.