Rooney tells Slot to drop "selfish" Salah for Anfield farewell

On Friday, Liverpool suffered a 4-2 loss to Aston Villa, a result that has jeopardised their Champions League qualification.

Salah, who announced his departure in March and has had a difficult season, went all out on Arne Slot after the game.

After scoring 29 goals to help the Reds win the Premier League in Slot's first year, his form has dipped, with just 12 goals in 40 appearances this term as the defending champions sit fifth.

Rooney's comments follow a social media post from Salah after he stated that the team must rediscover its identity as a "heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear."

"That is the football I know how to play and that is the identity that needs to be recovered and kept for good," Salah wrote. "It cannot be negotiable and everyone that joins this club should adapt to it."

Following Salah’s comment, Rooney believes the Egyptian's recent conduct warrants his exclusion from the farewell match against Brentford.

"I find it sad at the end of what he's done and what he's achieved at Liverpool," Rooney said on his podcast, The Wayne Rooney Show. "It's not the point for him to come out and aim another dig at Slot."

"He wants to play heavy metal football, so he's basically saying he wants Jurgen Klopp football. Now I don't think Mo Salah can cope with that type of football anymore. I think his legs have gone to play at that high tempo and high intensity."

Drawing on his own experience, Rooney added, "If I was Arne Slot, I'd have him nowhere near the stadium in the last game. 

“I had it with Alex Ferguson. I had a disagreement and fallout and at Alex Ferguson's last game at Old Trafford, he left me out of the squad for that reason."

Rooney suggested Salah's comments are an attempt to deflect from his own poor performances.

"I think Salah's trying to vindicate himself and make himself feel better because he's had a very poor season," Rooney explained. "I think he's been very selfish... Mo Salah knows exactly what he's doing."

"You can't publicly disrespect him twice the way he has and get away with it. And that's where if I was Arne Slot, I'd have to pull rank and just say, listen, you're not coming anywhere near the place on Saturday."

Salah, 33, is set to leave Liverpool this summer after a decorated nine-year spell, during which he scored 257 goals and won six major trophies.