(Credit: Imago, Manh Tung, Breaking Media)

Evan Shaw

Sun 31 May 2026 17:00, UK

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Liverpool were at risk of a “confrontation” between Arne Slot and Mohamed Salah if he had not started in his final game for the club.

That is according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes that the Reds showed their class by allowing the Egyptian to start in the final-day draw with Brentford.

Slot, who has since been sacked by Liverpool, opted to put his differences with Salah to one side and hand him his big moment in his final Anfield appearance, as the wideman received an emotional send-off.

The former Chelsea star will depart Merseyside this summer after nine seasons and over 250 goals in Liverpool colours, and two Premier League winners’ medals.

Liverpool’s draw with Brentford marked the end of a difficult season for Salah, with the club now heavily focusing on finding a way to replace him this summer.

Liverpool hailed for ‘classy’ handling of Mohamed Salah exit

Everton’s former chief Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that things could have got “messy” between Salah and Slot, had he not started against Brentford.

Instead, the 33-year-old left the Anfield pitch for the final time through a guard of honour and a standing ovation from all four sides of the ground.

Neither he nor Slot will be present at the club next term, after the boss was shown the door earlier this week, and Wyness feels that Liverpool handled the situation in the right way after everything that has gone on with the pair.

“I think it was the right thing in terms of giving respect to what Salah has done for the club. I think that could have just become a confrontation,” Wyness said on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast.

A guard of honour for Mohamed Salah. He thanks Anfield and then he thanks his Lord. Wow that was an incredible moment. ❤️ #LFC pic.twitter.com/FXFY6JpXvv

— Asim (@asim_lfc) May 24, 2026

“It would have been very messy. It wouldn’t have been the sort of classy way to have handled things that Liverpool did. So I’m glad that he did the right thing, along with Andy Robertson being there as well on his final game.”

Ex-refs chief hits out at final day guards of honour

Ex-FIFA referee and former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett told Football Insider earlier this week that Liverpool’s guard of honour for Salah provided an “unnecessary” stoppage during the game.

A similar scene played out at the Etihad Stadium when Bernardo Silva was honoured during his final appearance for Manchester City as they were beaten by Aston Villa.

Hackett labelled the duo as “wonderful” players, but insisted that their contributions to their respective clubs and the Premier League as a whole should have been celebrated after the full-time whistle.

He pointed out that the Premier League has a serious issue regarding the “timing” of its games, with the ball in play for just 52 minutes on average, and suggested as a result that all stoppages must be cut down.