Salah names the two Liverpool players who stood out in training from day one
Mo Salah has picked out two familiar names when asked which Liverpool players stood out to him in training when he first arrived at the club.
The 33-year-old Egypt international was posed a simple question by the club’s official X account and his answer was immediate.
“I would say Philippe Coutinho and Adam [Lallana], so both, yeah.”
For Liverpool supporters, it is an interesting snapshot of a dressing room era that helped shape what came next, because Philippe Coutinho’s technical quality and Adam Lallana’s intensity were two defining traits of that squad.
It also lands at a time when Mo Salah’s own standards are constantly being judged, even though his role in Arne Slot’s side remains central on and off the ball.
What Salah’s Coutinho and Lallana answer tells us
First standout players, first lessons, and first goals!
MoS and Conor take us through their ‘firsts’ at the AXA Training Centre #Ad pic.twitter.com/orjDhSrntX
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 18, 2026
There is a reason Mo Salah’s comments resonate, because the winger is widely seen as one of the hardest workers at Kirkby, with his gym routines and consistency often highlighted in discussions around Liverpool professionalism.
So when he points to “standouts” from the day he arrived, it is a compliment from someone who has spent his Liverpool career raising the bar.
Coutinho was never a physical monster, but the Brazilian’s first touch, scanning and ability to play at speed would have popped in any session.
Lallana, meanwhile, built a reputation for being relentless in pressing drills and small-sided games, and it makes sense that a new arrival would notice that edge quickly.
If anything, our No.11’s answer also reinforces something we know about Liverpool teams at their best: the technical quality has to be matched by a willingness to suffer in training.
Salah’s 2025/26 numbers show influence even without peak output
Sofascore data underlines that Salah has still been productive, even if the goals are not at the absurd pace we associate with his best seasons.
| Salah 25/26 PL | Total |
|---|---|
| Appearances (starts) | 18 (16) |
| Minutes | 1,537 |
| Goals | 4 |
| Assists | 6 |
| xG / xA | 6.07 / 3.61 |
| Key passes per game | 2.3 |
| Big chances created | 9 |
| Big chances missed | 9 |
That combination of assists, key passes and chance creation suggests he is still driving our attack, even when finishing has not been as ruthless as usual.
It’s also worth noting that the winger is coming off a huge performance against Brighton, which is the kind of display that always changes the temperature around him.
Why Salah’s comments matter with exit talk bubbling again
John Aldridge has already summed up the uncertainty around Salah’s longer-term future in a way that feels realistic from the outside.
“You’ve got to ask the manager and Mo himself – we don’t know the situation.”
The former Liverpool striker also pointed to the attitude we have seen recently.
“He’s come back and he’s putting a shift in, he’s trying to prove a point and that’s all you want – Mo scoring goals, because we need him.”
On the other side, Tim Sherwood has gone very strong in the opposite direction, predicting an exit.
“In my opinion, I think he 100% leaves that club…”
That context is exactly why a simple training-centre quote about Coutinho and Lallana can travel, because it reminds everyone how long Salah has been setting standards at Liverpool, and how much the club’s culture has mattered to him since day one.
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