Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk spoke about Mohamed Salah after Saturday's victory over Aston Villa: "He's a special, special player [and has been] for so many years. "I see the hard work he puts in on a daily basis,

But amid all the recent furore over the Ballon d'Or - so tedious has the discourse around that award become, it is in danger of being renamed the Ballon Bore - there was one matter that was largely overlooked: Mohamed Salah wasn't even on the shortlist.

It was widely reported this week that Liverpool would step up contract negotiations with Mohamed Salah during the November international break. The 32-year-old was left out of the Egypt squad with the Pharaohs already qualified for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.