LFC Live - Liverpool duo show true colours as Ousmane Dembele pips Mohamed Salah to Ballon d'Or

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Liverpool duo Hugo Ekitike and Ibrahima Konate sent their congratulations to Ousmane Dembele despite the PSG man pipping their club teammate Mohamed Salah to the Ballon d'Or.

Last year, there was a big push among Reds supporters to see their 'Egyptian King' win the most prestigious individual award in world football.

Salah was truly exceptional for the Reds despite rumours swirling around his future for much of the season.

In all competitions, he bagged an astonishing 34 goals and 23 assists as he helped Arne Slot bag the Premier League in his debut campaign in the dugout.

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However, outside of the Premier League, Liverpool came unstuck as they lost the Carabao Cup final and were knocked out of the Champions League by eventual winners PSG on penalties at Anfield.

A failure to add more silverware to the cabinet ultimately cost Salah in his bid to win the Ballon d'Or this year with the winger finishing fourth behind PSG's Vitinha, Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and, of course, the eventual winner Dembele.

Salah was not at the event in Paris but his team-mates Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk were in attendance to see the French winger secure his first Ballon d'Or.

While they would perhaps commiserate with Salah, for Ekitike and Konate they were stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Both men know Dembele through their international careers while Ekitike has also shared a dressing room with the new Ballon d'Or winner at PSG, albeit briefly.

Taking to Instagram after the award was announced, the Reds duo moved quickly to congratulate their friend.

Ekitike wrote: "On top of the world.

Thank you Ousmane Dembele.

Meanwhile, Konate added: "Congratulations, my brother." One thing is for certain, Salah is unlikely to hold anything against his two team-mates for congratulating his Ballon d'Or rival.

Missing out this time will undoubtedly only motivate Salah further to try and win the award before retiring.

Liverpool return to action on Tuesday night when they host Southampton in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

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