Wayne Rooney Calls on Arne Slot to Drop Mohamed Salah for Liverpool’s Final Anfield Game After ‘Selfish’ Public Outburst

Wayne Rooney has called for Mohamed Salah to be left out of Liverpool’s final home match of the Premier League season, describing the departing forward’s recent public conduct as “selfish” and drawing a direct parallel to his own experience under Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.

Salah, 33, took to social media following Liverpool’s 4-2 defeat to Aston Villa on Friday — a result that has placed the club’s Champions League qualification in serious jeopardy — to criticise the direction of the team under manager Arne Slot. The Egyptian called for Liverpool to return to being a “heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear,” adding: “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 that joins this club should adapt to it.”

The comments marked Salah’s second public swipe at Slot, prompting a sharp response from Rooney on his podcast, The Wayne Rooney Show. “I find it sad at the end of what he’s done and what he’s achieved at Liverpool,” Rooney said. “It’s not the point for him to come out and aim another dig at Slot.”

Rooney also questioned whether Salah’s desire for a high-intensity pressing style was realistic given his current physical condition. “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,” he said.

Drawing on a personal experience from his time at Old Trafford, Rooney recalled being dropped by Ferguson following a disagreement. “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 fallout and at Alex Ferguson’s last game at Old Trafford, he left me out of the squad for that reason,” Rooney explained.

Rooney went further, suggesting Salah’s public comments are an attempt to shift focus away from a disappointing individual campaign. “I think Salah’s trying to vindicate himself and make himself feel better because he’s had a very poor season. I think he’s been very selfish… Mo Salah knows exactly what he’s doing. You can’t publicly disrespect him twice the way he has and get away with it. And that’s where if I was Arne Slot, I’d have to pull rank and just say, listen, you’re not coming anywhere near the place on Saturday.”

The criticism is not without statistical context. After contributing 29 goals to help Liverpool secure the Premier League title in Slot’s debut season, Salah has managed just 12 goals in 40 appearances this term as the defending champions sit fifth in the table. The forward announced his departure from the club in March, and his exit will bring to a close a nine-year spell at Anfield during which he scored 257 goals and claimed six major honours.

Rooney is not alone in his assessment. Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has also condemned Salah’s outburst, suggesting it risks unsettling the dressing room ahead of the final fixture. Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has similarly expressed disappointment at the manner of Salah’s social media post.

Liverpool face Brentford in what will be Salah’s final Anfield appearance, should he be included in the squad. With Champions League qualification still uncertain, Slot faces a significant decision over whether to select a player whose relationship with the club appears to have deteriorated in the closing weeks of the season.