Ex-Liverpool star dreaming of World Cup spot after being denied by Mohamed Salah

Dominic Solanke left Liverpool for Bournemouth in 2019 after struggling for game time alongside Mohamed Salah and is now eyeing a place in England's 2026 World Cup squad

Dominic Solanke (left) failed to get ahead of Mohamed Salah in the pecking order at Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has few peers regarding the influence he wielded at Anfield.

Bearing this in mind, a lack of playing time alongside the Egyptian shouldn't be a decisive factor when evaluating other former Reds' abilities. That's undoubtedly how Dominic Solanke might choose to view his short stint on Merseyside. The striker arrived in the same transfer window as Salah following his development at Chelsea, but would ultimately feature in merely 27 Liverpool matches before departing for Bournemouth in January 2019.

As Salah prepares to conclude his Liverpool career at the conclusion of this season, it's evident that it would have required an exceptionally gifted player to compete in the same squad.

Solanke perhaps wasn't at that standard as a youngster — he remained a teenager when he relocated to Merseyside — but has subsequently proved he possesses considerable quality at the highest level.

"It feels amazing and everyone has made me feel welcome already," Solanke remarked upon signing for the Reds in July 2017, the same month Salah completed his move from Roma. "Even just pulling on the training top, I was over the moon. Hopefully, I can put on the shirt in the near future and make some good history here."

The striker wasn't required to wait particularly long for his debut. Following his initial competitive appearance as a substitute against Hoffenheim in a Champions League qualifier, he secured his maiden Premier League minutes in a 1-0 triumph over Crystal Palace.

Salah has become one of Liverpool's greatest ever players(Image: Getty Images)

Regrettably for Solanke, there was no immediate route to consistent first-team action. The Reds' formidable attacking trio of Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane were backed up by the likes of Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi, with their newly-signed English striker netting just one league goal in a 4-0 win over Brighton on the final day of the 2017-18 campaign.

Interestingly, then-manager Jurgen Klopp opted for a 4-2-4 formation on that particular occasion. While Salah may not have been the player who directly hindered Solanke's opportunities, he persuaded Klopp to stick with a favored three-pronged attack that was inevitably going to make it difficult for the youngster to establish a pattern of regular football.

Initially, Solanke's performances at Bournemouth suggested that Liverpool had done excellent business securing £19 million ($25 million) for him. He managed just three league goals as the Cherries suffered relegation in 2019-20 and, following two more solid second-tier seasons, ended up with six the next time he featured in the Premier League.

That all shifted when Andoni Iraola arrived as manager, however. Solanke netted 19 league goals — only three players scored more — to help Iraola's team finish safely in mid-table and prompt Tottenham to table a bid worth up to £65 million ($85.8 million) including add-ons.

Life has been something of a rollercoaster for the striker since his move to London. His goals in Europe, including one in each leg of the semifinal, were instrumental in Spurs clinching the Europa League and reclaiming their place at football's top table — only for injury to sideline him for the opening six league phase fixtures in the Champions League.

Solanke is yet to surpass 1,000 minutes on the pitch this season following ankle surgery, yet he has found the net in each of his three Champions League outings.

He also delivered a memorable brace in a 2-2 draw with Manchester City and earned his first-ever England start against Uruguay, more than eight years after picking up his initial international minutes while on Liverpool's books.

His next ambition is to secure a berth in England's World Cup squad. "[It's] the last camp before the U.S. and the last chance also, for me, to get to know new players and to learn about new players," manager Thomas Tuchel confirmed.

Several senior figures were rested for the Uruguay fixture before being recalled for a second friendly against Japan. Should he grasp his opportunity on Tuesday, Solanke will demonstrate just how far he has come since those formative days at Liverpool.