'We've always had that superstar': Jason McAteer says who he wants to replace Salah as Liverpool's next icon

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When Mohamed Salah leaves Liverpool this summer, he will do so as not only a club legend, but an icon of world football.The Egyptian has become a genuine superstar across nine years with the Reds, and his exit will leave a gaping hole which is going to have to be filled.While it is one thing to talk about replacing Salah on the pitch, Liverpool could also do with someone stepping up to make themselves the face of the club itself. 9 could be the next global face of Liverpool FC.“I’d like him to be like ‘I’m here.

I’m walking into the room and I’m here!'” the pundit told The Reaction from The Official Liverpool FC Podcast. “But if that’s not him, he’s going to have to find a different way to get himself into the arena and show everyone that he’s the centre-forward.” Photo by Sebastian Frej/Getty ImagesREAD MORE: Alexander Isak blown away by ‘brilliant’ Freddie Woodman role in Liverpool’s Crystal Palace win“Mo Salah’s leaving now, a superstar’s left the club.

“There is a space for that, we do need that player, it’s great for the club, great for everything around the business of the club, why not Isak?“But he’s got to believe it,” McAteer added, “He’s got to believe that I’m the man here. Here's how the table looks after the Reds' 3-1 win over Palace 👇 Photo credit: Getty Images/Liverpool FC Liverpool have other superstar contendersLiverpool will still have a global footballing icon in their team next season in the form of Virgil van Dijk.However, it currently looks likely that the captain will depart in 2027, leaving a space open for some of Liverpool’s younger generation to step up.Isak could certainly be that man, and after the fee they paid for him, the Reds would surely love that to be the case.But the same can also be said for Florian Wirtz, who arguably has more ‘X factor’ than Isak when it comes to winning over the footballing masses.Salah’s exit will rock Liverpool in more ways than one, but it does also present an opportunity for the likes of Isak, Wirtz or even Dominik Szoboszlai to take the club by the scruff of its neck and become the new hero.