Match of the Day host Gary Lineker has come to Mohamed Salah's defense following his heated exchange with Jürgen Klopp during Liverpool's draw at West Ham United on Saturday.

Salah, who was benched for the match in London, came on with just 10 minutes remaining. During his wait to enter the fray, the 31-year-old seemed to engage in a heated debate with Klopp, an incident that cast both parties in an unfavorable light.

The altercation was eventually diffused by Darwin Núñez, but it fuelled speculation about Salah's future at Liverpool, with rumors suggesting he might follow Klopp out of Anfield when the season concludes. However, Liverpool is said to be anticipating that Salah will stay for the last year of his contract, despite links to a transfer to the Saudi Pro League.

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Micah Richards, Salah's former Fiorentina teammate, expressed disappointment over the winger's actions on The Rest is Football podcast: "When I first saw it, it was more sadness that came to mind for me."

"You have got two absolute legends of the game and obviously they are going through a difficult patch, they give everything for the club, they are used to winning and it was just a moment that normally happens in the dressing room. A lot of people talked about it being a disgrace and once you bring something from the dressing room out, I agree because you are undermining the manager.

"It was just down to frustration knowing that they were so close to doing something magnificent this season, and it is just crumbling before their eyes. Salah is a great person, a great pro and he is a winner and because of the fact he wasn't playing and he wanted more minutes, he reacted in a way which was unacceptable but I don't think his legacy should be tarnished by this one moment. It was a lack of respect for the manager at the wrong time."

Lineker, however, took a more understanding stance: "I don't see that it was a disgrace at all, I know people are talking like that. These things happen in life. They are human beings.

"It is not like they were throwing punches at each other or anything completely mad like that. There is clearly a little bit of angst there and I expect it is because Mo Salah felt disrespected by being left out.

"He has been there years, he is a brilliant player and his record is unbelievable in pressure situations. He probably couldn't fathom why he was left out."

Liverpool.com says: The fallout from Salah's clash with Klopp will no doubt continue. The latter clearly wants to move on from it, but all eyes will be on the pair this weekend.

It was wrong for Salah to drag out his frustrations into the public eye, but it shows how fierce a competitor he is. It will be interesting to see whether he gets the nod to start against Tottenham on Sunday.

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Liverpool ECHO by clicking here.