Mohamed Salah was hailed as Liverpool’s ‘greatest’ by a team-mate after the dismissal was confirmed

Andy Robertson has hailed the departing Mohamed Salah as Liverpool’s “greatest” player.

On Tuesday evening, news of Salah’s unexpected departure at the end of the season emerged.

signalling the end of an illustrious nine-year partnership between the Egyptians and the Anfield club.

With 255 goals in 435 appearances, the 33-year-old will depart as the Reds’ third-highest goalscorer behind only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt.

And Robertson, who signed for the club in the same transfer window in 2017, led the dressing room tributes.

Posting on Instagram, the Scotland international wrote, “Thank you, Mohamed.

These were nine of the best years of our lives, filled with great memories both on and off the pitch. It has been a pleasure to watch you become the best at what you do and one of the best dressed in a Liverpool shirt.

“Your mentality is second to none and many people can take note. You push yourself every single day and always demand more from yourself and others. I’m glad to have shared the pitch with you for so long, but I’m even happier to call you a friend.

“You deserve a send-off that reflects your status in the LFC – the greatest. Second to none.”

The exact circumstances behind the decision have yet to emerge, with Arne Slott’s role as manager unclear, but former Liverpool player Stephen Warnock has suggested the Dutchman could find himself out of the club if results deteriorate in the coming weeks.

“Do they have any replacements in the squad now? “No, they don’t, not at all,” he told BBC Radio Five Live.

“Whether it’s Arne Slott or a new manager (who has to find one), we’ll have to wait and see. That’s another thing that’s up for debate. If Liverpool get knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain in the next few weeks and they don’t win against Manchester City in the FA Cup, suddenly many things look bad.

“It won’t just be Mohamed Salah; they are looking for a replacement, it will be the manager.”