“Troy Deeney Snubs Mo Salah, Reveals His Top 5 World-Class Players”

“Troy Deeney Overlooks Mo Salah in World-Class Debate, Names His Top 5 Elite Players”

“Troy Deeney Rejects Mo Salah as World-Class, Unveils 5 Players Who Truly Qualify”

Former Watford striker Troy Deeney has ignited a heated debate among football fans with his bold take on Mo Salah. Speaking on talkSPORT, Deeney dismissed the Egyptian forward as “world-class” despite Salah’s phenomenal tally of 221 goals for Liverpool and his impressive collection of trophies.

Explaining his perspective, the 36-year-old stated, “My argument has always been that I just don’t think he’s world-class. To me, world-class means someone I’d want my kids to look up to and emulate. If I had to guide my kids who dream of becoming forwards, I’d point them toward players like Vinícius Jr rather than Mohamed Salah.”

While recognizing Salah’s exceptional goal-scoring record and effectiveness on the pitch, Deeney insisted it’s a matter of personal interpretation. “His stats are incredible, and his achievements are remarkable, but for me, that alone doesn’t define what it means to be world-class.”

Salah’s outstanding form this season continues to make a statement, with the Liverpool forward already scoring eight goals in 11 Premier League matches, keeping the Reds firmly in the title race. Despite this, Deeney doubled down on his opinion in his column for The Sun, emphasizing his respect for Salah’s abilities while standing by his belief that the Egyptian doesn’t meet his personal definition of world-class.

“The Liverpool star is a brilliant winger with incredible stats, but in my book, he’s not world-class,” Deeney wrote. “This isn’t a personal dig. I’ve faced him on the pitch and know how good he is, but I don’t place him in that category.”

Surprisingly, Deeney applied the same reasoning to Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé, arguing that the French striker isn’t currently world-class either. Instead, he highlighted five players he believes truly fit the description: Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker, Rodri, Erling Haaland, and Vinícius Jr—two of whom are Salah’s Liverpool teammates.

Deeney’s comments have sparked confusion among fans, particularly in light of Salah’s unmatched consistency and brilliance. Regardless of whether his views resonate, they’ve reignited the age-old debate about what it truly means to be a “world-class” player.