Mo Salah nailed the lie that he is a “greedy" player once and for all.

That is the message from Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who insists his record-breaking goalscorer merely shows the instinct of a top class striker.

Salah has come in for criticism in recent weeks, with the Egyptian forward accused of not passing to team-mates in better positions.

But against Southampton he produced a masterclass of forward play, scoring two himself, but unselfishly bringing others in around him.

He set up new boy Takumi Minamino for one sitter that was spurned, and linked play brilliantly alongside Roberto Firmino all afternoon.

(Image: PETER POWELL/EPA-EFE/REX)

And Klopp said: “A week or two ago people were talking about Mo Salah. Mo was never selfish, or more selfish than he should be.

“A striker in the right position... we have seen goals from Mo where he scores in between four players and finds the roof of the goal.

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“Then when you do not score people say you should have passed here or there. Life is not that easy. He was very unselfish (against Southampton) and he got the balls back, so he could score.”

Salah in fact, leads Liverpool’s stats on passing to forward team-mates, and assists, with 20 goal contributions in 22 Premier League matches this season.

He also had two big chances created, and Klopp is adamant the unselfishness of both Salah and Firmino is a huge positive.

“Bobby is just exceptional, a very football smart person, I do not know a player like him, that is true.

“But even a player like Bobby needs an address where he can send the ball, because he can not take the ball and turn and run alone. How he uses the skills of his mates is special.”