Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones has revealed that Mohamed Salah has apologised to the squad following his recent explosive interview, reaffirming team unity ahead of their Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur.
The saga began after Liverpool’s 3-3 draw with Leeds United on December 6. Salah, who had been benched in three consecutive matches, voiced his frustrations, claiming he felt “thrown under the bus” by the club and suggested a strained relationship with manager Arne Slot.
The Egyptian international was subsequently omitted from the squad for their Champions League tie against Inter Milan. However, he made a return against Brighton last weekend, making an immediate impact by providing an assist for Hugo Ekitike’s goal.
That assist marked a significant milestone in Salah’s career, taking his total Premier League goal involvements to 277 – surpassing Wayne Rooney’s previous record of 276 for Manchester United.
Now with the Egyptian national team preparing for the Africa Cup of Nations, Jones shared details of Salah’s approach to the Liverpool team. “Mo is his own man, and he can say his own stuff,” Jones told Sky Sports.
“He apologised to us and was like, ‘If I’ve affected anybody or made you feel any sort of way, I apologise’. That’s the man that he is. I can only speak from my knowing Mo and how he is with us and how he acted on that. He was positive as well.”
Jones emphasized the team’s supportive environment, stating: “He was the exact same Mo; he had a big smile on his face, and everybody was exactly the same with him. I guess it’s just part of wanting to be a winner, and I don’t think he will be the last.”
He also added a nuanced perspective: “I get that there are certain ways you can go about things, but if a lad’s fine to be on the bench, and he doesn’t want to play and help the team, I think that’s more of an issue. When there’s been any sort of anger from us, including myself, it’s always been from a good place. In the moment, it might not have come out in the right way, but it’s never been to affect the team, the staff, the manager, anybody like that.”
“We’re past that now, and we’re gelling well as a team, playing well and starting to win games,” Jones concluded.
Liverpool, showing signs of recovery, are currently on a five-match unbeaten run in all competitions (W3 D2). They will be hoping to continue this momentum when they face Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, aiming for consecutive Premier League victories for the first time since September.
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