Steven Gerrard has revealed what he told Mohamed Salah in the aftermath of the Egyptian winger’s explosive interview in December 2025 — and the Liverpool legend’s message was blunt: go out the right way. As Salah approaches the end of his tenure at Anfield, Gerrard’s words offer a window into how those connected to the club are thinking about one of its most consequential departures in years.
The December Interview That Changed Everything
The backdrop to Gerrard’s intervention is the controversy that erupted at the end of 2025. Salah gave an interview following a 3-3 draw against Leeds at Elland Road in which he publicly criticised manager Arne Slot, accused the club of failing to stand by him, and made clear that his future at Liverpool was uncertain. For a player who had been synonymous with the club’s recent success, it was a jarring moment.
Salah, who was 33 at the time of the interview, had been left on the bench for several key matches, a decision that clearly ranked. His public comments about feeling “thrown under the bus” by Liverpool’s management generated enormous media coverage and created an atmosphere of tension that has persisted ever since.
Gerrard’s Private Message
Speaking on The Overlap, the football discussion platform he co-hosts with Gary Neville, Gerrard confirmed that he reached out to Salah privately at the time. His advice was straightforward and came from a place of personal experience: protect your legacy by leaving on your own terms.
“I spoke to him around that interview at the time,” Gerrard said. “I said ‘Don’t do what you’ve done and go under a cloud. You’ve been here for eight or nine years. You’ve been a king here. You’ve got this legacy. Go on your terms, the right way.'”
It is the kind of counsel that only someone who has lived through the intense scrutiny of a long career at Liverpool could credibly offer. Gerrard himself knows what it means to be defined by a club, and his message to Salah reflects a genuine understanding of what is at stake when a player of that stature exits badly.
The Irreplaceable Factor
Gerrard also addressed the challenge facing Liverpool when Salah departs at the end of the season. His assessment was characteristically direct: the club needs to spend big, or not bother trying to replace him like-for-like.
“You have to buy someone who is box office, or you are not replacing him,” Gerrard said. “They have to be top-end, top three or four wingers in the world to replace Salah — because that’s what Mo has been.”
It is a challenge that Liverpool’s recruitment team will know all too well. Salah has scored more than 250 goals for the club since his arrival from Roma in 2017, won the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup with them, and consistently ranked among the best players on the planet during his time at Anfield. There is no obvious replacement at that level.
Salah’s Final Months
With his departure confirmed for the end of the 2025/26 season, Salah is playing out his final months at Liverpool. The manner of his exit — whether he departs with goodwill or in an atmosphere of lingering bitterness — matters both for him and for the club. Gerrard’s intervention suggests that those close to the squad are very much aware of this.
Reports suggest that the relationship between Salah and manager Arne Slot has settled into a functional if not warm dynamic since the December interview. Salah has continued to perform when called upon, and there is an understanding on all sides that the focus should be on the season’s remaining objectives.
A Legacy Beyond Question
Whatever the precise circumstances of his departure, Mohamed Salah’s place in Liverpool’s history is secure. He is among the club’s greatest ever goalscorers and arguably the best player in the world during his peak years. For a player with that kind of legacy, the manner of the exit carries real weight — both in terms of how he is remembered and how the relationship between player and supporters concludes.
Gerrard’s message — go out like a king, not like someone whose final chapter was defined by a grievance — is sound advice. Whether Salah takes it fully on board in his remaining weeks at the club, only time will tell.