'Really surprising': Jason McAteer stunned by what he's now heard about Mohamed Salah at Liverpool
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Liverpool beat Bologna on Wednesday evening, and there were no prizes for guessing who scored the decisive goal on the night.
Indeed, Mohamed Salah once again came up trumps in the Champions League, scoring the goal to make it 2-0 and seal Liverpool's victory.
Salah was fantastic on Wednesday evening, and speaking on the Official Liverpool Podcast after the game, Jason McAteer has been discussing Salah's brilliance.
McAteer says that he's actually been surprised by what he's heard about Salah recently.
The pundit was recently told by his son that the Liverpool star wasn't among the nominees for this year's Ballon d'Or, and he found that very surprising.
Jason McAteer stunned by Mohamed Salah Ballon d'Or snub
The pundit spoke about the fact Salah isn't in the Ballon d'Or mix
"He is one of the best in the world. I said it tonight, he's not in the Ballon d'Or, he's not been nominated. I'm shocked, my little boy was on the phone with me and he said 'Mo Salah has not been nominated for the Ballon d'Or.' I find that really surprising because he's such a top player, isn't he?" McAteer said.
Does Mohamed Salah deserve a Ballon d'Or nomination?
McAteer seems perplexed about Salah's Ballon d'Or snub, so that begs the question, is this snub so egregious?
Salah is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world, but his form over the past 12 months isn't perhaps the best it's ever been.
He scored a record-low tally of Premier League goals for Liverpool last season with 18 – which, in all honesty, is still a great return.
He didn't play in the Champions League last season, so that is a mark against his name, while he didn't make an impact at the African Cup of Nations either due to injuries.
When you look at the list of Ballon d'Or nominees, it is hard to pick out any players who should be swapped out for Salah.
Artem Dovbyk is perhaps the most unworthy of the nominees, but even then, he scored 24 goals as Girona finished in the top four in La Liga last season.
The reality is that the Ballon d'Or race is incredibly competitive at the moment, and with international and European competitions prioritised over domestic success, Salah may not have done enough to make the shortlist this year.
