Who is the best Premier League player of all time? Alan Shearer has the most goals, Ryan Giggs 13 titles and the Ballon d'Or was won by Cristiano Ronaldo and Rodri.
But almost every poll puts Thierry Henry at number one and I can see why. He can beat you with both skill and raw pace. At Liverpool we would do our utmost to stop him and still fail.
For twenty years, King Henry sat on the throne unopposed, despite other exceptional talents. However, 2025 could be a turning point year. If Mo Salah achieves what I think he will, he will even overtake Thierry.
In the coming months he could win his second Premier League and Champions League, a fourth Golden Boot equaling the record of Alan Shearer and Henry, Salah, and become fourth on the list of all-time top scorers behind Shearer, Harry Kane and Rooney. This from a winger who only joined Liverpool at the age of 25.
He is also top in the league in assists this season and if he signs a new contract with Liverpool I don't see that happening, it will cost him more than a decade in England.
It is not just facts and figures that make Salah not only special, but also unique. He achieves all this from a wide position. It's not like he's a centre-forward, where the team prepares the attack specifically for him.
Henry was a centre-forward who drifted to the left. Salah is the opposite. He starts well and comes in when opportunities arise.
He scores the number of goals he does because his positional play is exceptional. He makes runs to receive the ball close enough to the goal. Once there, he makes quick decisions before defenders can react. Although he prefers left, he can chop right.
His first touch in setting up the finish is exceptional – it's pure talent. Moreover, he has a remarkable desire. The more he scores, the more he wants.
Salah has been Liverpool's talisman, reaching two other Champions League finals and twice finishing second in the league with a points total that would have seen them become champions in any other year.
Henry would be the first to admit that at Arsenal he had world-class players like Patrick Vieira and Denis Bergkamp helping him. Wayne Rooney and Ronaldo had each other alongside Paul Scholes for Manchester United.
Salah has had some brilliant teammates, but not at that level. Imagine what he could have done if Scholes and Bergkamp had been partners.
Consistency is also a factor in greatness. The Egyptian's durability is remarkable and he looks in better condition than ever.
He turns 33 in June, an age when clubs are normally reluctant to offer long-term deals, but I don't understand why Liverpool wouldn't give him another three years as the club's highest-paid player.
It's a risk worth taking for the club if you take everything into account and Salah has earned special treatment. He won't fall off a cliff in the next two years. As long as he doesn't demand to double his money – which I don't think is the case – a deal should be made.
All players want to be loved and Salah is adored on Merseyside. He seems like someone who cares deeply about making sure his family feels settled and happy.
His legacy is already assured, but if he sticks around for most of the decade, more records will be broken, even those that seemed unachievable, like Shearer's goalscoring record in the Premier League or Ian Rush's at Liverpool. Salah has a burning desire to go down in history.
His body language has been excellent this season, Arne Slot has to take some of the credit. His star man smiles and encourages teammates. He is definitely one of the most important leaders in the Liverpool team.
Beyond the goals, his peripheral vision to find teammates is better than ever. In addition to being an exceptional individual, he is a real team man. At 32, Salah is the complete package, in the form of his life.
I have often suffered at the hands of Thierry. He scored a brilliant hat-trick against us at Liverpool during Arsenal's Invincibles season and even when I moved to Charlton he scored this ridiculous goal.
I didn't think we'd ever see him again. I believe Mo will wear the crown by the end of this coming year.
My football wish for the new year is fewer robot players. It makes me angry to see them sticking to one idea instead of thinking for themselves on the field.
I've seen teams trail with two minutes to go trying to maintain possession rather than chasing an equalizer. It's a lack of game management that you wouldn't want in an under 15 game.
I'm sure the managers themselves are frustrated. They want their players to understand, no matter how well practiced they are, there are times in a game situation to slow things down, and a time to take risks.
Everton were a breath of fresh air against Manchester City. Jordan Pickford would play on James Tarkowski if there was an opportunity to build play. But if he was shut down, he was eager to play longer rather than risk a turnover. Common sense is lacking on too many teams.
Perhaps academy coaches should make it clearer to young people that learning a pattern of play does not mean abdicating your responsibility when you need to be flexible.
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