Roy Keane and Ian Wright both expressed annoyance upon being pushed to choose between Liverpool star Mohamed Salah and outgoing Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne on the latest episode of ‘Stick to Football.’
Salah is on the brink of sealing a new two-year deal at Anfield, while De Bruyne has made it known that he will depart Manchester City after his contract runs out this summer. The panel, which included Gary Neville and Jill Scott alongside Wright and Keane, were asked by Neville on the podcast, sponsored by Sky Bet: “Whose Premier League legacy is greater, Mo Salah or Kevin De Bruyne?”
Despite a united front in picking De Bruyne, both Wright, the ex-Arsenal forward, and Keane, the former Manchester United skipper, felt pressured into making a choice.
“At the moment you’d probably have to go with Kevin De Bruyne, wouldn’t you, simply because of the amount he has done,” Wright said. “And I think he probably makes the all-time Premier League XI if we’re going to be totally honest about what he’s done.
“He’s an exceptional talent and a consummate professional. He’s eternally serious, consistently demanding more from his teammates. The man never seems satisfied.”
When pressed once more for a definitive stance, Keane responded with irritation: “Do we have to compare the two? They’re two brilliant players.”
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And Wright, showing his exasperation at the comparison, could not help but concur. “Why do you compare them?” he questioned. “You look at De Bruyne and he’s got so much more. He’s got so much more in respect of trophies. Naturally you lean towards that but at the same time, his ability and what he’s done is amazing. Mo Salah is amazing as well..”
“I said De Bruyne! I can’t make it any clearer,” he said. “Can I just say it’s an unfair question on Salah though. You have to go with somebody who’s got the same amount of medals or some same amount of accomplishments.”
Salah is on track to claim his second Premier League title with Liverpool this term, currently sitting joint-fifth in the league’s all-time scoring leaderboard with 184 goals. The star forward has already clinched the Premier League Golden Boot three times and added the Playmaker award to his collection in the 2021/22 season, with sights set on scooping both accolades yet again this year.
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On the flip side, De Bruyne boasts an impressive six Premier League titles and has contributed 70 goals plus a staggering 118 assists from 281 league outings for Manchester City. De Bruyne, a three-time recipient of the Playmaker award, is only second to Ryan Giggs in terms of Premier League assists records.
Both Salah and De Bruyne have earned places in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year multiple times: three for Salah and five for De Bruyne. Salah has been honored twice as both the PFA Players’ Player of the Year and the FWA Footballer of the Year, not to mention snagging the Premier League Player of the Season and thrice being named the PFA Fans’ Player of the Year.
Liverpool.com says: Salah and De Bruyne would both make an all-time Premier League XI. They play different positions but have both been at the very top of the game for a very long time.
