'Mohamed Salah told me I'm Liverpool's best player - Arne Slot doesn't think I'm ready'

Liverpool wonderkid Stefan Bajcetic enjoyed a meteoric emergence 2 seasons agone but was sent retired connected indebtedness by caller manager Arne Slot aft having his vocation derailed by injuries

Stefan Bajcetic was dubbed Liverpool’s “best player” by Mohamed Salah earlier Arne Slot sent him retired connected loan.

The 20-year-old starlet, who is with Red Bull Salzburg until adjacent summer, enjoyed a sensational commencement to his Liverpool vocation successful the 2022/23 season, becoming 1 of the fewer agleam spots successful an different torrid run for the Reds. Having spent clip with the U21s pursuing his determination from Celta Vigo successful 2020, and impressed successful archetypal squad training, then-manager Jurgen Klopp decided to propulsion the Spaniard into the heavy end.

Bajcetic didn’t look backmost aft coming connected for his debut against Bournemouth arsenic a 17-year-old, with the central-midfielder scoring a memorable extremity astatine Aston Villa. He aboriginal delivered a stunning show successful the Merseyside Derby astatine Anfield, having already been named the club’s Player of the Month for January 2023.

Reds talisman Salah heaped precocious praise connected the youngster pursuing the triumph implicit Everton, highlighting Bajcetic arsenic Liverpool’s standout subordinate that season. The Egyptian said post-match: “He's a large subordinate and person, helium ever tries to enactment hard. Since helium started playing for us, helium has been our champion subordinate maybe, truthful hopefully helium keeps that assurance and keeps going.”

Bajcetic has since reflected connected Salah’s comments, telling Marca this week: “When Salah tells you these things you effort not to get carried away. When Klopp oregon players of that calibre archer you these things, it gives you much assurance to spell into grooming the adjacent time and springiness more. You effort to support your feet connected the crushed and proceed learning from the best.”

Unfortunately for the half-Serbian, his advancement would beryllium hampered by a season-ending wounded that chopped his debut run short, arsenic good arsenic affecting his playing clip past season. Bajcetic says helium utilized the accidental to turn disconnected the pitch, portion Liverpool decided successful the summertime it would beryllium champion to nonstop him retired connected indebtedness truthful helium could get backmost to fitness.

He joined Austrian giants RB Salzburg, wherever helium was reunited with ex-Liverpool adjunct manager Pep Lijnders, arsenic caller Reds brag Slot explained his hopes for Bajcetic successful the future. Slot hinted that the youngster is not yet acceptable to onshore a spot successful the side, admitting helium would not person started overmuch this play up of the plethora of midfield options the Dutchman has astatine his disposal.

“I anticipation it volition beryllium a large twelvemonth for him due to the fact that he’s a precise talented subordinate and I deliberation helium could go a precise important subordinate for us, but lone if helium gets playing clip now," Slot said.

“If you are that young and you’ve been retired for truthful long, the lone happening you request is playing time. He could person playing clip implicit here, but we’ve got six oregon 7 precise bully midfielders, truthful his playing clip present volition ever beryllium much constricted than we expect him to play astatine Salzburg.

“So for him, and us, we deliberation it’s champion for him to play astatine the moment, alternatively of possibly playing a fewer times and past being connected the seat for a agelong clip again. It’s precise hard to support a subordinate acceptable who’s been retired for 15 months erstwhile you lone play him erstwhile successful a while. Then for adjacent season, we’ll person a player. If helium fulfils his potential, [he] could definitely, decidedly play for america successful the future.”

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