Mohamed Salah should stay and be a hero at Liverpool after being backed to beat Kevin De Bruyne to the PFA Player of the Year award by Rickie Lambert.
Egypt international Salah has enjoyed a stunning debut season at Anfield and joined only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt in an elite group of Liverpool players to score 40 goals in a single campaign following his header against Bournemouth last weekend.
He is vying with De Bruyne to be named PFA Player of the Year at Sunday’s awards ceremony, and has already been selected in the Premier League Team of the Year alongside the Manchester City midfielder.
Former Liverpool striker Lambert, who was presented with the EFL's Sir Tom Finney Award for lifetime achievement on Sunday, thinks that Salah is a "superstar" and deserves to be voted player of the year by his fellow professionals.
"Without a doubt [Salah should win the PFA Player of the Year award],” said Lambert. “Two months ago, I think De Bruyne and him were level.
“Let’s be honest that Salah has gone ahead, especially with the amount of goals and the level that he is playing at.
"De Bruyne has had a little dip as well. I would be very surprised if he doesn’t get it. I would be very, very surprised.
“Salah is a superstar. I just hope that obviously Liverpool keep hold of Salah. I think he can be a hero in Liverpool, I think the relationship that he has with the fans, he can’t get anywhere else.
"To see Liverpool doing so well at the minute, it is good to see. Some of the football they are playing at the moment is the best in Europe."
Meanwhile, Lambert is considering the next stage in his own career after retiring as a player in October last year.
A late bloomer who only broke into the Premier League at 30 years old after playing in all four divisions, Lambert played for Liverpool, Southampton, West Bromwich Albion and England.
The ex-striker has started his coaching badges but he says he has not yet got plans to return to any of his former clubs.
He said: "I don’t know, it is too early to say. I would not like to put any pressure on myself because I am very chilled out at the minute.
“I don’t know what I am going to do, I am just going to see how it goes."
