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There are many ways to bring a Liverpool career to an end. Steven Gerrard’s departure was one of the most painful, as the Champions League-winning captain bowed out after a 6-1 defeat to Stoke City. Kenny Dalglish’s exit carried more sentimentality, coming as a substitute appearance in 1990 after Liverpool had already secured the league title.

Dalglish, who famously brought himself on, ended up leaving twice more — first stepping down as manager in 1991, and again being dismissed in 2012.

Mohamed Salah has now arguably joined Gerrard and Dalglish in Liverpool’s pantheon of all-time greats. He ranks third on the club’s all-time scoring list, behind only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt, yet boasts a superior goals-per-game ratio compared to both.

Indeed, among Anfield’s century scorers, no player since World War II has found the net at a quicker rate than Salah. When it comes to assists — as far as historical data allows — Salah sits fifth, with Dalglish and Gerrard leading that chart. Of those with at least 40 assists, only Dalglish and Alan A’Court, who starred in the old Division Two, provided more goals per game.

This remarkable consistency came despite an underwhelming and at times turbulent final season. Normally known for his composure, Salah was effectively sidelined by Liverpool for the Champions League trip to Inter Milan after publicly stating he had been “thrown under the bus” and admitting to having no relationship with manager Arne Slot.

His second-last appearance, during a 4-2 defeat at Aston Villa, was overshadowed by his social-media comments the next day, in which he declared that Liverpool were “crumbling”.

As Salah prepares for his final Anfield outing on Sunday, tributes have poured in from both current and former teammates. Yet the occasion may feel less celebratory than it otherwise would have been — with relationships strained, Salah’s form fading, and what was once considered a triumphant contract renewal now appearing a misstep, as he departs a year before its conclusion.

Even so, the Anfield crowd is expected to give their Egyptian king one last rousing send-off. Manager Arne Slot, though, may have more mixed emotions; while not directly named, he was clearly the target of some of Salah’s online criticisms. Still, Slot has frequently praised Salah in public, maintaining both dignity and diplomacy. “Mo and I both want what’s best for this club,” Slot said, noting that he will choose to remember the unstoppable Salah of 2024–25, rather than the disgruntled figure seen more recently.

Reflecting on that season, Slot added: “One hundred percent last season. I think he said — and that means even more because he has achieved so much here — that the most special thing he won was last season’s Premier League title. I can safely say the same; I’ll remember how vital he was in that campaign, not just for the club but for me personally with all the goals he scored. We haven’t reached those heights this season, but I’ll always remember him mainly for last season — and the fans should remember all the brilliant years he gave us.”

Salah’s penultimate campaign — his first under Slot — was arguably his finest in an extraordinary eight-year run. He scored 44 goals in his debut season, nearly matching Rush’s record of 47, but produced 34 goals and 23 assists in all competitions under Slot, including 29 goals and 18 assists in the Premier League alone. That earned him the Footballer of the Year award for the third time.

That was the Salah whom Jürgen Klopp labelled an all-time great, whom Trent Alexander-Arnold described as relentlessly driven, whom Alisson Becker called one of Liverpool’s most important players, and whom Virgil van Dijk hailed as a once-in-a-generation talent.

This season, however, has been far less kind. As Salah’s influence waned, Liverpool’s struggles deepened. He lost his starting place, and his goal tally dropped to seven in the Premier League and 12 across all competitions. While Slot and the club hierarchy benched him following his December dissent, the manager’s diplomatic nature means he is unlikely to deny Salah a farewell appearance — especially as Liverpool still need goals in their chase for Champions League qualification against Brentford.

For Salah, who famously scored in Liverpool’s 2019 Champions League final triumph, one last goal could be symbolic — a final act to help secure the club’s return to Europe’s elite competition. Liverpool will hope his last outing resembles Dalglish’s farewell more than Gerrard’s.

Slot acknowledged as much: “I think Mo also understands how crucial Champions League qualification is for us,” he said. A 258th goal would add further lustre to Salah’s legacy. And though Slot may quietly welcome the end of the Salah chapter, he will forever remember the Egyptian at his brilliant best — eight years of excellence that transformed Liverpool’s modern era.