Salah admits 'mixed feelings' about facing Liverpool after Trabzonspor move

Mohamed Salah has confessed he would experience ‘mixed feelings’ if he ever lined up against Liverpool, the club he left this summer after nine years and 257 goals in 442 appearances.

“I would feel mixed feelings,” the 34-year-old said. “It’s mixed feelings because I’ve been there nine years. I love the city, I love the fans and we always had a special relationship. It would be very tricky.”

The Egyptian forward departed Anfield having helped Liverpool win two Premier League titles and the Champions League. After a period without a club following his exit, Salah signed for Turkish side Trabzonspor and has made an immediate impact, scoring three goals in his first three Super Lig appearances.

Despite the sentimental attachment, a meeting on the pitch looks remote. Trabzonspor have no European football this season after being eliminated from the Europa League qualifiers by Hungarian club Ferencvaros, while Liverpool are competing in the Champions League.

Liverpool have already moved to fill the void left by Salah, completing a £123m deal for PSG winger Bradley Barcola in the final days of the summer transfer window. Manager Andoni Iraola offered an encouraging early assessment of the Frenchman, who had not played a single minute since the World Cup before joining.

“He is training well, he is in a good place and I think he has helped us,” Iraola said after Barcola came off the bench against Ipswich. “When he carries the ball, you can feel this threat — happy because it is 30 minutes that are going to be good for his fitness and for his build-up.”

Iraola urged patience with the new signing, noting the unusual circumstances of his arrival. “He hasn’t played any preseason, not even a minute, and I think he is still in a good place. The demands for the games are different from training so we have to consider this.”