‘Selfish’ Mo Salah must be dropped from Liverpool farewell game: Wayne Rooney

“I want to see Liverpool go back to being the heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear and back to being a team that wins trophies. That is the football I know how to play and that is the identity that needs to be recovered and kept for good. It cannot be negotiable, and everyone who joins this club should adapt to it,” Salah wrote on his social media post.

I have witnessed this club go from doubters to believers, and from believers to champions. It took hard work and I always did everything I could to help the club get there. Nothing makes me prouder than that.

Us crumbling to yet another defeat this season was very painful and… pic.twitter.com/xsnD14QLTQ

— Mohamed Salah (@MoSalah) May 16, 2026

‘Have him nowhere near the stadium’

Rooney, who stands just ahead of Salah on the all-time Premier League scoring charts, slammed the latter for a distasteful jibe at Liverpool manager Arne Slot, insisting that the 33-year-old must be dropped from his farewell match against Brighton on Sunday.

“I find it sad at the end of what he’s done and what he’s achieved at Liverpool. It’s not the point for him to come out and aim another dig at Slot, Rooney said, speaking on the Wayne Rooney Show on BBC.

“He wants to play heavy metal football, so he’s basically saying he wants Jurgen Klopp football. Now I don’t think Mo Salah can cope with that type of football anymore. I think his legs have gone to play at that high tempo and high intensity.”

Rooney recounted a disagreement with Sir Alex Ferguson that prompted the former Man United head coach to drop him ahead of his last managerial appearance.

“If I was Arne Slot, I’d have him nowhere near the stadium in the last game. I had it with Alex Ferguson. I had a disagreement and fall out and at Alex Ferguson’s last game at Old Trafford, he left me out of the squad for that reason.”

Rooney claimed that Salah was trying to vindicate himself through social media after a woeful season. With Liverpool slipping to fifth in the standings, the club’s all-time goal-scorer has netted only seven goals in 26 appearances.

“I think Salah’s trying to vindicate himself and make himself feel better because he’s had a very poor season.

“So I think he’s been very selfish in what he’s done in the two occasions. It’s a shame and fans will be on his side, but I think when you look deeper into it and having been in a dressing room in a similar situation to that as well, Mo Salah knows exactly what he’s doing,” said Rooney.