Steven Gerrard reveals frank Mohamed Salah text messages and backs his Liverpool exit

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Steven Gerrard has revealed he had a text exchange with Mohamed Salah soon after the Liverpool forward lashed out at Arne Slot . The Egyptian recently revealed he has decided to leave Anfield at the end of the season.

Over the course of nine years on the red side of Merseyside, Salah entrenched himself as one of the finest players in the club's long history. However, just before he left for the Africa Cup of Nations, he publicly lambasted Slot for leaving him on the bench after Liverpool drew 3-3 with Leeds United at Elland Road.

Salah was then dropped for Liverpool's Champions League away victory over Inter Milan , but was re-integrated back into the team after he returned from AFCON. Looking back on Salah's falling out with Slot, Gerrard revealed he had a frank exchange with Salah over the phone.

Speaking on the Overlap , Gerrard said: "I spoke to him around that interview at the time. I said 'Don't do what you've done and go under a cloud' - yeah I spoke to him direct.

"He texts me every now and again or I text him now and again, more if I am going somewhere with Leo (Gerrard's son) just so Leo can see him.

"But it gave me the opportunity to say to him, 'You've been here for eight or nine years. You've been a king here, you've got this legacy. Go on your terms, the right way.'"

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When asked how Salah took Gerrard's words, the ex-England captain said: "He was still a little emotional at the time from the incidents. He was a sub, he was in and out of the team at the time, he was upset. I thought it would have been a shame if he left in January and he just left."

Elaborating further on the fallout between Slot and Salah, Gerrard added: "I understand both sides of it now I have been a manager myself, I understand both sides. I had a similar thing with Brendan (Rodgers).

"But when I look back at it now and I am out of the game and on the other side of it and less emotional, you understand it from where Brendan is. I maybe wasn't the same player at 34. There's no rule where you have to play every minute because you're the captain, but at the time it's not easy.

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"When you're in the squad and you're about to play United and you look at the squad and you think 'I am as good if not better than those players.' It's difficult in the player's situation."

Salah will leave Liverpool at the end of the season despite having one year left on his contract. Nevertheless, the club have granted him to depart Anfield without a transfer fee being paid, effectively giving him the rights of a free agent.

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