“He’s a monster” – Mac Allister can’t believe what he’s seen Mo Salah doing behind the scenes | OneFootball

Alexis Mac Allister has shared a revealing insight into what it’s like to train alongside the ‘monster’ that is Mo Salah.

The pair have been teammates at Liverpool for two years now, in which time the Argentine midfielder has seen our number 11 elevate himself to third in the club’s all-time scoring charts on 245 goals and, mercifully, pen a two-year contract extension in April.

The Egyptian has maintained extraordinary standards ever since he joined the Reds in 2017, never scoring any fewer than 23 goals in a single season and – as seen from his numerous topless celebrations – keeping himself in frighteningly immaculate condition.

Mac Allister awestruck by ‘monster’ Mo Salah

In a long-form piece for The Players’ Tribune, Mac Allister shared an anecdote which highlights the incredible work ethic of Salah, who the 26-year-old hailed as ‘the best professional I’ve ever seen’.

The Liverpool midfielder reflected: ‘Mo, he’s hilarious. For a few weeks, I actually tried to get to the gym before him, but it was impossible. He was always there already, sweating.

‘One day, I asked him, “But Mo … when do you sleep?”. He said, “I don’t like it when I get more than seven hours. I feel tired.” Hahaha. “You feel tired?”

‘“Yeah, it’s too much. You only need six-and-a-half.” He would be in the gym for an hour, and someone would say, “Mo, are you finished? Let’s go eat.” “No, no. I just did my abs. Now I have to really work out.”

(Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

‘When I first arrived, I tried to compete with him. I thought: OK, the guy is 31. I’m 24. Let’s do some abs. Damn …. I think I did three sessions with Mo before I gave up. I would wake up the next morning, and I was so sore I could barely sit up in bed!

‘Mo sets the tone for everyone at Liverpool. He is the best professional I’ve ever seen. He’s a monster.’

Mo Salah is a phenomenon

Salah may have received criticism over his unusually subdued performance in the Community Shield last weekend, and admittedly he was well below his best at Wembley.

However, the truth is that he’s set such stratospheric standards over the past eight years that even an average 6/10 display is interpreted as him being unacceptably poor.

Mac Allister was a world champion with Argentina by the time he came to Liverpool in 2023, so he’d already kept some quite esteemed company (including a certain Lionel Messi). Seemingly, though, nothing had prepared him for the indefatigable work rate of the Reds’ number 11!

There’s a reason why, four months ago, the Anfield hierarchy broke with convention to hand Salah (who turned 33 in June) a two-year contract extension and a wage increase to £400,000 per week. It’s because he continues to deliver season after season, seemingly getting better with age rather than declining.

Father Time will eventually catch up with the Egyptian King, but we suspect that this generational footballer will continue to maintain incredible standards for another few years yet!