30 November 2023 , 21:32
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Jurgen Klopp has finally bowed to Mo Salah’s wish to become Liverpool captain after he skippered the Reds vs LASK.
The Egyptian forward was surprisingly named in the starting line-up for the game at Anfield despite Klopp’s side being on the verge of qualification for the next round. While he started, it was a significant moment for Salah, who captained the side in the absence of Virgil van Dijk, while vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold started on the bench.
It was just the second time that Salah had been given the armband - the first coming in the 2-1 win against Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup. It was, however, the first time ever that he had captained Liverpool at Anfield.
Klopp’s decision marks the end of a long wait for Salah, who had previously complained at not being given the armband. The 31-year-old previously spoke out after being left surprised at not being captain during a clash with Midtjylland back in 2020, when Alexander-Arnold was given the nod.
“Honestly, I was very disappointed,” Salah told AS at the time. “I was expecting to be the captain... but it's the manager's decision, so I accept it.”
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Even during the summer, the topic of the club captaincy reared its head again. Previous skipper Jordan Henderson quit Anfield in a move to Saudi Arabia and was followed by Fabinho, while previous vice-captain James Milner also left.
Mo Salah captained Liverpool for the first time at Anfield vs LASK (Getty Images)Who was the Liverpool man-of-the-match vs LASK? Share your thoughts in the comments below
Explaining how he reached his decision back in 2020, Klopp said: "I was captain for a long time in my career, and what a heck of a job it is because there are not a lot of benefits you get, just a lot of work with all the things around.
"I didn't feel or do feel the importance of being captain. Yes, we have a captain like Hendo and that is important, but to be a captain for one game.
“I didn't realise how important that can be to players because in this world now, everything is a big story. I didn't realise it was that big a story for Trent. The rule here is there is a players' committee and it is Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Virgil van Dijk and Gini Wijnaldum.
The German added: "So I didn't make it that complicated, I just gave Trent the armband. And I spoke to Mo about it after the game and when I realised it didn't work out that well, I clarified that and he said it again in the interview, so not a problem for me.
"He said he was disappointed and I didn't do it on purpose, I just did what I did. If I made a mistake then it was that Divock Origi was not the captain."