James Milner reveals what makes Mohamed Salah an elite star
Former Liverpool midfielder James Milner has explained why he believes Mohamed Salah belongs among football’s elite, highlighting the Egyptian forward’s mentality and relentless desire to improve.
Milner, who played alongside Salah at Liverpool from 2017 to 2023, said Salah was never satisfied with simply relying on his natural talent. Instead, he constantly searched for ways to gain an advantage and improve his performances.
According to Milner, Salah was humble enough to ask questions and seek advice from others. He would research different approaches to fitness, recovery and performance before deciding what could work for him.
Milner also recalled Salah spending extra time working on his game, including practising penalties in the gym. One of the more unusual examples was Salah reportedly using an exercise bike in his home swimming pool as part of his recovery routine.
Milner said what impressed him most was that Salah never acted as though he already knew everything. Instead, he wanted to collect as much information as possible and put useful ideas into practice.
The former England international ultimately summed up Salah’s mentality by saying that he was obsessed with becoming better. For Milner, that hunger to improve is one of the characteristics that separates elite players from the rest.
Salah and Milner shared the Liverpool dressing room for six seasons and won seven trophies together, giving Milner considerable first-hand experience of Salah’s approach behind the scenes.
