Mohamed Salah says he is driven by a desire to win the Premier League with Liverpool this season more than a Ballon d'Or award and opened up on how 'confrontational' Arne Slot can be as head coach. Salah has arguably been the standout performer in the top flight this term with his 17 goals helping the Reds to a six-point advantage over second-place Arsenal heading into the weekend's fixtures with a game in hand.

The Egyptian has this week been tipped to scoop the 2025 Ballon d'Or award if he maintains his current form to lead Liverpool to a second title in five years, with Reds legend Jamie Carragher leading the calls to recognise Salah as the world's best player should he keep up his current level. Salah himself, however, says that while the desire to lift football's most prestigious individual honour used to be a burning ambition of his, he is now solely focused on firing his club to a 20th league crown as he enters the final months of his contract.

"In the past it used to be [a goal] and I used to go crazy for it," Salah told TNT Mexico ahead of Sunday's visit from Manchester United. "But now I almost won many things, so thank God for that. But it (Ballon d'Or) doesn't drive me anymore. I just feel like OK, I just want to win, especially the Premier League this year more than the Champions League. It's the Premier League, to be a big part of the team winning and that is great.

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“Am I surprised by Slot's progress? Yes. Well, before I worked with him, but now I work with him, I see how into details he is and how he focuses on the small things. He doesn’t have an ego, it is (Slot saying) ‘OK, I made a mistake, now I try to solve it’.

"It’s happened many times, sometimes during a game, sometimes at half time, sometimes at the end of the game. He doesn’t have an ego, it is ‘I made a mistake, OK, I’ll change it’. And that’s it. So it is not a surprise any more.

“He likes confrontation, which is good, which is good. Somehow it’s good, not always but it is good. He tells you things straight in your face straight away. I think it’s very important for the players to know what the manager wants. He really explains it really well, like it is black and white. So take it or leave it. He’s very good, tactically he’s very good. He is more into details, he tries to change stuff for each team, so we carry on like this.”

Salah also urged his team-mates to stay grounded for the remainder of the season as they enter the second half of the term well placed as league leaders.

He added: "Absolutely, last season was also the same time, same points. Maybe a bit less. But we have young players who have to understand and they have all been in the same situation and they have more experience from that.

“So they just have to stay humble and work hard and see things at the end of the season. Don't celebrate too early, not just at the minute which is sometimes too early, like what happened last season. So we just need to focus on our games, win our games and see.

“The Premier League is the Premier League, it's different, so it is very tricky. But at the end of the season is different, you have a month, five weeks to chill and restart. But [playing] after three days is quite tricky.

"You need willpower and a strong mind to refresh and trick your brain, your mind because it's very necessary. It’s tricky because people have different preferences but I just say always in my head that I see myself as the best and I am trying to give my best for the team and for myself as well.

"Yeah probably [at my peak of confidence] but it is also about the results of the team, the team doing good and being involved in the goals and the attack in general. So I feel like I have very good confidence right now and my confidence is always high. I feel I have very good confidence so hopefully it carries on until the end of the season.

"What gives me more pleasure (between goals and assists) is goals but I always say, like the assist against Manchester City, when we beat them 2-0, I think it was bigger than my celebration, but the way I gave the assist was very, very good (for Cody Gakpo). The assist I had against Fulham (for Gakpo) when we were 1-0 down, I was celebrating like crazy because it was very important. So it depends on the moment. I would never pick a goal more than an assist because it depends on the moment and what it means for the team.

"I am just trying to do my best and be the best version of myself and it’s quite tricky when you are a winger but I am trying to do both because it is my game. I have been here for many years, seven years and this is my eighth and I have achieved many things both collectively and individually so I earned that (right to be main man), so yeah, this is football and things go like this in football."