Former Liverpool defender John Arne Riise has conceded that he never thought Mohamed Salah was so destructive as a forward player.
Salah joined Liverpool last summer from Roma and has shocked with his first season in England, scoring 40 goals in 45 appearances in all competitions in the current campaign.
The Reds are looking at Salah to produce the goods against his former club Roma in the Champions League semi-final tie next week and Riise admits that a defender cannot give any kind of space to the destructive Egyptian.
The former Liverpool full-back conceded that he was not aware that Salah was as good as a forward before he saw him play this season for the Reds.
However, he is certain the winger will find it harder when Liverpool face Roma as the Giallorossi have one of the best full-backs in Aleksandar Kolarov to neutralise the Egyptian’s threat.
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Asked how Roma should set up against Salah, Riise told Italian daily Leggo: “You cannot even leave half a meter of space for him.
“Honestly I didn’t think he was this devastating, but he is now in an incredible moment.”
He added: “On his side, however there will be Kolarov, in my opinion one of the best full-backs in the world, but he needs to be more aggressive.”
