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Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister believes that the Premier League is the hardest trophy to win — even more difficult than the Champions League because of its gruelling nature.
And it is in that context that he is so in awe of his teammate, Mohamed Salah, who is never short of energy at the Reds' training ground. The Egyptian sets the tone for the rest to follow — though they can't always keep up.
"The pressure at this level is so intense," Mac Allister wrote for The Players' Tribune. "I actually agree with what Pep Guardiola said about the Premier League.
"To me, it’s the hardest trophy in the world to win. Harder than the Champions League. The Premier League is nine months.
"Mentally, physically, emotionally... It’s f***ing murder. Look at Mo, for example. You cannot imagine how hard he pushes himself to stay at the top in this league.
"Mo, he’s hilarious. For a few weeks, I actually tried to get to the gym before him, but it was impossible. He was always there already, sweating.
"One day, I asked him, "But Mo … when do you sleep?". He said, "I don’t like it when I get more than seven hours. I feel tired."
"You feel tired?". "Yeah, it’s too much. You only need six-and-a-half."
"He would be in the gym for an hour, and someone would say, "Mo, are you finished? Let’s go eat."
"No, no. I just did my abs. Now I have to really work out."
"When I first arrived, I tried to compete with him. I thought: OK, the guy is 31. I’m 24. Let’s do some abs.
"Damn... I think I did three sessions with Mo before I gave up. I would wake up the next morning, and I was so sore I could barely sit up in bed. Hahahah.
"Mo sets the tone for everyone at Liverpool. He is the best professional I’ve ever seen. He’s a monster."
Mac Allister could be in the starting XI when Liverpool kicks off the new Premier League campaign with a home game against Bournemouth tomorrow. And he has been impressed by Arne Slot during their time together so far.
"I like to speak to my managers on the training ground and understand what they want from me," Mac Allister said. "It was the same with Roberto De Zerbi, and now it’s the same with Arne.
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"When Arne came in, it was a huge change for us, because his style is a bit different. It’s less rock and roll and more possession, but it worked out so well for us. But his support off the pitch was even more important for me.
"I don’t want to go into details, but I was going through some very personal difficulties last season. I told one person what I was going through, and it ended up reaching Arne. He called me into his office one day.
"You never know how something like that is going to go in football. But Arne was amazing about everything. He let me get everything off my chest, and after that, I felt like I could breathe a bit easier."
Liverpool.com says: Mac Allister is a really underrated midfielder. Last season, he was one of the very best in the world, and the emergence of Dominik Szoboszlai as a deeper option this summer has left a few people overlooking the Argentine's importance.
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