Eclipsed Cristiano Ronaldo but what about Thierry Henry? Liverpool legend John Barnes assesses Mohamed Salah’s Premier League legacy

Salah, having previously endured a testing spell at Chelsea, returned to the Premier League in 2017 when heading to Merseyside. Few knew what to expect at that stage, but a remarkable impact has been made across nine seasons with the Reds.

Now 33 years of age, Salah is a two-time Premier League title winner with FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Champions League triumphs to his name. He has collected four Golden Boots and three PFA Player of the Year awards, scoring over 250 goals in total and 189 in the English top-flight.

Portuguese superstar Ronaldo also savoured domestic and continental success during his time at Old Trafford, becoming a Red Devils centurion on the goal front. He has gone on to become an all-time great, but cemented that status outside of Manchester.

With that in mind, Jamie Carragher is among those to have suggested that Salah trumps CR7 in the Premier League stakes. Another former Anfield star shares that opinion. Speaking in association OLBG, Barnes told GOAL when asked if he agrees with Carragher’s assessment: “I do, because Cristiano Ronaldo's best years were at Real Madrid. In terms of Cristiano Ronaldo the player overall, I don't think you can say Mo Salah's career has eclipsed Cristiano Ronaldo's entire career. But just in terms of the Premier League, because Ronaldo went to Real Madrid and that's where he had his prime, I think Mo's career in the Premier League has eclipsed Cristiano Ronaldo's career in the Premier League. Not overall, but just in the Premier League, yes.”

If Salah tops Ronaldo, how many other Premier League icons does he sit above? World Cup winner Henry occupies a spot towards the top of that chart - as Arsenal’s all-time leading scorer and part of the fabled ‘Invincibles’.

Quizzed on whether the Egyptian King of Merseyside boasts a greater legacy than the French Prince of north London, Barnes said: “No, I would put them on par with each other. When Thierry Henry came, Wenger brought him in and you can see what he had to go through. He won the Premier League, they won the FA Cup, he won loads of trophies, was Player of the Year, scored goals.

“Mo did something similar, coming into Liverpool with Jurgen Klopp and doing what they did together. So once again, it's a contentious debate as to who's better. Arsenal fans would say one thing, Liverpool fans would say another.

“As I said, I don't get involved in arguments like that. Although Mo is Liverpool and he's my team, you also have to respect Thierry Henry and what he's done. So I would say that's a much more valid argument than the Cristiano Ronaldo comparison.”

While Salah is preparing to bid farewell to English football, he is not finished yet. Liverpool remain in the hunt for FA Cup and Champions League honours, with Arne Slot hoping that key men will find a spark before the 2025-26 campaign comes to a close.

Moves to the Saudi Pro League or MLS have been mooted for Salah - as he mulls over what to do next - but wherever he ends up, tales of what he achieved over the best part of a decade at Anfield will stand the test of time.

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