Troy Deeney names Lamine Yamal and Vinicius Jr among best players in the world as he clears up Mohamed Salah ‘issue’
Yesterday at 11:08 AM
Troy Deeney’s opinion on Mohamed Salah still hasn’t changed, but that’s not to say he doesn’t think he’s brilliant.
The talkSPORT host caused controversy last year with his take on Salah, having said the Liverpool talisman ‘isn’t world class.’
Speaking to talkSPORT, the former Premier League striker said he’d rather tell his kids to play more like Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr, a player he loves to watch.
So who are the best three players in football right now? Deeney revealed his opinion – football is a game full of them – and cleared up the apparent issue he caused with comments on Salah.
3. Lamine Yamal
"I enjoy watching him play, I think he's frightening. He's 17 years old and I love the way he moves.
“When he is out of this Barcelona team you see a massive drop in their performance."
Yamal is a proud product of La Masia, Barcelona’s esteemed youth academy that has produced Lionel Messi, having made his first-team debut in 2023 at the young age of 16.
He quickly solidified his place as an integral player for Barcelona, receiving the Kopa Trophy the following year.
Yamal has represented Spain at various youth levels and made his debut for the senior team in 2023, becoming the youngest player to represent and score for the nation at just 16.
He was selected for UEFA Euro 2024, playing a pivotal role in helping Spain secure its fourth title, while also earning the tournament’s Young Player Award.
In October 2024, at the age of 17 years and 105 days, Yamal made history as the youngest goalscorer in El Clásico.
He netted the third goal in a commanding 4–0 victory against Real Madrid, surpassing the previous record held by his teammate Ansu Fati.
2. Rodri
"Number Two, I'm going for Rodri even though I know he's injured. He just won the Ballon D'or and you see what Man City are like without him. In terms of what he does, he's massive.
"He's huge, he gets around the pitch, he can play, he can head the ball well, tackle and score important goals.
"He just dictates the tempo, so if City need to go faster he goes faster, it all goes through him.
"If you see the [City] midfielders they've got no exceptional players, they just can't do it the same.
"You see Arsenal when they lost Martin Odegaard, there's just something different. With Bukayo Saka out there's something different. When these top boys leave, you just see their level."
Rodri joined Premier League side Manchester City in 2019, contributing to their dominant run of four consecutive league titles from the 2020/21 through the 2023/24 seasons.
In the 2022/23 season, he was an integral part of the team which claimed a historic treble.
This treble included City’s first Champions League trophy, with Rodri scoring the only goal in the final, being named the tournament’s Player of the Season.
They also won the Premier League that season and the FA Cup against arch rivals Manchester United.
Rodri debuted for Spain's senior national team in 2018 and represented his country at Euro 2020, the 2022 World Cup, and Euro 2024.
He won the Nations League in 2023, being named the tournament’s best player and was an integral part of Spain’s victory at Euro 2024, for which he was named Player of the Tournament.
Rodri has won several individual awards, most notably the 2024 Ballon d’Or. He became the second male Spanish player to achieve this feat after Luis Suárez, who did so in 1960.
He was also the first Manchester City player to win the award.
1. Vinicius Junior
"The best player in world football for me right now.
"I think he's a joke, frighteningly quick. He scores goals and creates them. Technically, he’s nice to watch and he’s won everything as well.
"That would be my three for right now, I'm sure the comments section is going to go made and say I don't know what I'm talking about."
Vinicius started his professional journey with Brazilian side Flamengo, where he made his senior debut in 2017 at just 16.
A few weeks later, he was signed by La Liga club Real Madrid for a staggering £38 million, setting a national record for an Under 18 player.
The deal activated after his 18th birthday, with Vinicius making his debut for the club in the 2018/19 season.
Through the subsequent years, Vinicius rose to prominence within Real Madrid, helping the club achieve La Liga and Champions League doubles, while scoring winning goals in both the 2022 and 2024 finals, claiming the tournament’s Player of the Season in 2024.
Vinicius was also named The Best FIFA Men’s Player in 2024 and he earned a commendable runner-up spot in the 2024 Ballon d’Or places.
What about Mohamed Salah?
The Liverpool star is thriving and is leading the Premier League goal charts ahead of Erling Haaland.
The Reds are also enjoying a remarkable run, sitting comfortably at the summit of the Premier League this season.
In November, though, Deeney argued against calling him ‘world class’. “I think Mohamed Salah is excellent,” he explained. “He's a pivotal part for Liverpool and they should never have let [his expiring contract] get to this situation.
“But I understand that there's a financial structure around what they want to try and keep to.
“My argument has always been that I just don't think he's world class.
“But world class is just a different opinion. What I consider to be world class is asking myself ‘would I want my kids to play like that player?’
"If I was asking my kids – who want to be forwards – I would be telling them to watch what Vinicius Jr as opposed to Mohamed Salah.
“[Salah] scores an unbelievable amount of goals, he’s highly effective, but that's just my opinion.”
Asked whether his opinion had changed in 2025, he said: "Look I think Salah is exceptional.
"He's massive for Liverpool, I just have a different opinion on what world-class is to different people. That's it.
"Again, I worked [Liverpool’s 1-0 loss to Tottenham], is anyone saying he's world class after that? No. But when he scores or assists everyone says he's world class.
"His stats are frightening, and they're phenomenal. I grew up in a generation watching Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldinho – out of these guys there's only one of them that could win the Ballon d'Or.
"Do you know what I mean? Being world class to me is just the top, top level where you just sit alone.
“I saw Mo the other day and there's no problem.
"There's just a level of player that is universally accepted that you are that person."
Salah finds himself in the closing six months of his Anfield contract, which means he could be leaving Liverpool without any transfer fee this June.
It remains uncertain where his future will lead him, but perhaps a new challenge might just sway Deeney's opinion of this Liverpool legend.
