Former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann has been surprised by Mohamed Salah's sensational start to life at Anfield and believes he should be crowned Premier League's player of the Year.
Salah tops the Premier League's scoring charts this season with 29 goals, putting him just three short of setting a record of most goals scored in a single 38-game season.
The Egypt international has been just as impressive in the Champions League, his opener in Wednesday's 3-0 quarter-final first-leg victory over Manchester City taking his tally in the European competition to eight, though the performance lost a little lustre as a result of Salah departing with an injury.
Like many, Hamann has been impressed with the 25-year-old's breathtaking campaign, and says he would vote for Salah ahead of Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne (KDB) for the PFA Player of the Year award.
"I think the vote will be in next few weeks," Hamann told Omnisport, speaking at an event organised by One Family and the Ian Rush foundation. "Players have to vote soon.
"KDB has been phenomenal since he joined Man City but purely on the goalscoring charts, the goals Salah has scored means if I had a vote it would be Mo Salah's."
While Hamann has been impressed by Salah's incredible return to the Premier League, the former Red admits he was not expecting him to make such an impact.
"He's having a great run. Every time he shoots he scores," Hamman said.
Goal number 38. pic.twitter.com/geidxlGgxK
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 4, 2018
"Yes, he has surprised me. I remember him from Basel where I thought he looked decent. [He] came to Chelsea, went to Roma had a good time and he carries on what he did at Roma.
"So yes, he's surprised me on how well he plays and goals he scored."
Hamann added: "[I] don't know if we'll ever see a winger in the Premier League who scores the amount of goals he has scored but with a note of caution, I don't think he'll carry on this form forever because as a winger, wide player, this is not normal.
"So if he goes three, four, five games without scoring, don't get upset. He's a huge value for the team but to top goal scoring charts is remarkable."