Curtis Jones has told Sky Sports that Mohamed Salah apologised to his Liverpool team-mates for his explosive interview – and the squad is united behind the forward.
Salah was removed from selection for Liverpool’s Champions League win at Inter Milan last week after he said he no longer had a relationship with head coach Arne Slot following Liverpool’s 3-3 draw at Leeds United.
However, Salah returned to the squad last weekend after talks with Slot and shone in their victory over Brighton, setting up Hugo Ekitike’s second goal, having come off the bench during the first half.
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Slot said afterwards he has “no issue to resolve” with Salah, who has now departed for the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt, and team-mate Jones revealed the forward had apologised to the squad.
In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports, Jones said: “Mo is his own man and he can say his own stuff. He apologised to us and was like, ‘If I’ve affected anybody or made you feel any sort of way, I apologise’. That’s the man that he is.
“I can only speak from me knowing Mo and how he is with us and how he acted on that. He was positive as well. He was the exact same Mo, he had a big smile on his face and everybody was exactly the same with him. I guess it’s just part of wanting to be a winner and I don’t think he will be the last.
“I get that there are certain ways you can go about things, but if a lad’s fine to just be on the bench and he doesn’t want to play and help the team, then I think that’s more of an issue.
“When there’s been any sort of anger from us, including myself, it’s always been from a good place. In the moment, it might not have come out in the right way, but it’s never been to affect the team, the staff, the manager, anybody like that. We’re past that now and we’re gelling well as a team, playing well and starting to win games.”
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Liverpool’s win against Brighton in the Premier League
‘Nobody has blamed anybody’
Jones voiced his own frustrations in a post-match interview after Liverpool were beaten 4-1 at Anfield by PSV Eindhoven last month, saying it was “unacceptable” and he was “past being angry” with the club in their worst run for 71 years.
But, since then, Liverpool have gone five games unbeaten and appear to have turned a corner heading into a busy period of the season.
“I’m a Scouser, I know how much it means to the city and fans and the club and staff around here,” he said. “It’s probably the first time I’ve been in a situation like this. There were a few reasons why I came out and spoke. I was just honest. I will say what I think, and at times it will rub [people] up the wrong way.
“Anybody who knows me knows I hate to lose, whether it’s card games, training games, it doesn’t matter. Now, because I’m in the first team and I’m a Scouser, I’ve supported the team from a kid, I’m playing as a player, but as a fan at the same time. I know how much it affects the fans, it affects me the exact same way. I’ve got that extra on me that we cannot lose.
“I was angry but it was a shock at the same time. It was positive to see how the lads all acted. They didn’t blame Mo, didn’t blame the manager, didn’t blame each other or anything like that. It was just taking it on ourselves.
“I was talking about the lads having to run more, fight more and compete. I wasn’t just saying them, it’s me as well. That’s what you’re starting to see now and that’s why I feel like the whole thing is changing.”
Jones continued: “When I’ve spoken to lads at different teams and I see how our team is to theirs, here is more of a family thing and families argue and fight, but they always stick as one. That little blip showed that the family is the most important thing.
“I say that with obviously the fans and the stuff with Mo that it’s not affected us in any sort of way. It affected our minds in needing to win, but nobody has blamed anybody and I think that’s the important thing.”
Slot: I won’t distract Salah with Liverpool talk
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Liverpool boss Arne Slot shares an update on Salah after Slot and the Egyptian forward ‘moved on’ following his recent comments
Speaking in his press conference on Friday, Slot said he would not distract Salah with any talk about Liverpool while the forward is at the Africa Cup of Nations.
“I said last week that actions speak louder than words and we moved on,” said Slot. “He was in the squad and he was the first substitution I made.
“Now he’s at AFCON playing big games for himself but also his country. It’s fair to them but also us, because we are going to play some very important games, that all the focus is on him over there and there should not be any distraction from me saying anything about his time here at Liverpool.
“We moved on after the Leeds interview and he played against Brighton.”
