Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah is destroying his legacy, says former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney. Salah said on Saturday he felt like he had been "thrown under the bus" by Liverpool and that his relationship with head coach Arne Slot had broken down.

Rooney believes that Slot must now show his authority and not involve Egypt international Salah in Tuesday's Champions League game at Inter Milan or next Saturday's home match with Brighton. "Arne Slot has to show his authority and pull him in and say 'you are not travelling with the team, what you said is not acceptable,'" said Rooney in his latest podcast episode. "Take yourself off to Afcon and let everything calm down. If I was him there would be no way he would be in the team."

Rooney said Salah needed to either iron out his differences with Slot, or leave Liverpool. "It needs to be sorted out quickly either way," he added. Salah, 33, has scored 250 goals in 420 Liverpool appearances but has failed to start the past three matches and was an unused substitute in Saturday's 3-3 draw at Leeds United.

After the game, Salah told reporters at Elland Road: "I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager, and all of a sudden we don't have any relationship. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame."

Salah, whose 29 Premier League goals helped propel Liverpool to the Premier League last season, signed a new two-year contract in April. Rooney questioned why Salah, who signed for Liverpool from Roma in 2017, would come out publicly with his comments. "He is absolutely destroying his legacy at Liverpool," added the five-time Premier League winner. "It would be sad for him to throw it all away. He's gone about it all wrong."

Liverpool have struggled to hit the heights of Slot's first season in charge. They sit ninth in the table, 10 points behind leaders Arsenal, after winning just seven of their opening 15 games. Salah has scored four times in 13 top-flight appearances.

Rooney said Salah was wrong to say "I don't have to go every day fighting for my position because I earned it". The former England forward added: "Time catches up with all of us, and this season he hasn't looked as his best, at his sharpest. You want to see him roll his sleeves up and say 'ok then, I'll show you'.

"To have the arrogance to say he doesn't have to earn his place because he has already earned his place, you need to be at your best every week to try and stay in the team. If I was one of his team-mates, I wouldn't be happy at all with what he said because this is where Liverpool need him most. If anything, he has thrown Liverpool under the bus with his words. He's been absolutely incredible for Liverpool, but this was disrespectful to his team-mates, manager and fans.

"I would imagine he will be very quiet around the training ground and that will bring a negative energy in itself to the new players Arne has bedded in. I am sure over the next couple of years he will regret saying what he has."

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