Troy Deeney names Lamine Yamal and Vinicius Jr among the best players in the world as he clarifies Mohamed Salah 'problem'
Troy Deeney's opinion of Mohamed Salah still hasn't changed, but that doesn't mean he doesn't think he's brilliant.
The talkSPORT presenter caused controversy last year with his opinion on Salahhaving said Liverpool's talisman is “not world class”.
Speaking to talkSPORT, the former Premier League striker said he would prefer to tell his children to play more like Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr, a player he loves to watch.
So who are the three best players in football right now? Deeney revealed his opinion (football is a game full of them) and clarified the apparent problem he caused with his comments about Salah.
3. Lamina Yamal
“I enjoy watching him play, I think he's scary. He is 17 years old and I love the way he moves.
“When he's out of this Barcelona “There is a massive drop in performance in the team.”
Yamal is a proud product of La Masia, the prestigious Barcelona youth academy that has produced Lionel MessiHe made his debut with the first team in 2023 at the age of 16.
He quickly cemented his place as an integral Barcelona player and was awarded the Kopa Trophy the following year.
Yamal has represented Spain at various youth levels and debuted for the senior team in 2023, becoming the youngest player to represent and score for the nation at just 16 years old.
He was selected for UEFA Euro 2024playing a pivotal role in helping Spain to their fourth title while also winning the tournament's Young Player Award.
In October 2024, at 17 years and 105 days old, Yamal made history as the youngest scorer in a Clásico.
He scored the third goal in a resounding 4-0 victory against real Madridsurpassing the previous record held by his teammate Ansu Fati.
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2. Rodri
“Number two, I'm going for Rodri although I know he is hurt. He has just won the Ballon d'Or and you see what Manchester City is like without him. In terms of what it does, it's huge.
“He is enormous, he moves around the field, he can play, he can head the ball well, attack and score important goals.
“He just dictates the pace, so if City need to go faster, he goes faster, everything goes through him.
“If you look at (City's) midfielders, they don't have exceptional players, they just can't do it the same way.
“You look at Arsenal when they lost Martin Odegaard, there is something different. With Bukayo Saka there is something different. “When these top guys leave, you just see their level.”
Rodri joined the Premier League team city of manchester in 2019, contributing to their dominant run of four consecutive league titles from the 2020/21 to 2023/24 seasons.
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In the 2022/23 season he was an integral part of the team that achieved 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 with the Spanish senior team in 2018 and represented his country at Euro 2020, the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024.
He won the Nations League in 2023, was named player of the tournament 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, including the 2024 Ballon d'Or. He became the second 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
“For me, the best player in world football at the moment.
“I think it's a joke, terribly fast. He scores goals and creates them. Technically, he's nice to see and he's also won everything.
“That would be my three for now, I'm sure the comments section will open up and say I don't know what I'm talking about.”
Vinicius began his professional career with Brazilian club Flamengo, where he made his senior debut in 2017 at just 16 years old.
A few weeks later, he was signed by La Liga side Real Madrid for a staggering £38 million, setting a national record for an under-18 player.
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The agreement was activated after turning 18, and Vinicius made his debut for the club in the 2018/19 season.
Over the following years, Vinicius rose to prominence within Real Madrid, helping the club to doubles in La Liga and the Champions League, while scoring winning goals in the 2022 and 2024 finals, and being named Player of the Year. Tournament season in 2024.
Vinicius was also named The Best FIFA Player in 2024 and obtained a commendable second place in the 2024 Ballon d'Or places.
What about Mohamed Salah?
He Liverpool The star is thriving and leads the Premier League goals chart ahead of Erling Haaland.
The Reds are also enjoying a remarkable run, sitting comfortably at the top of the Premier League this season.
In November, however, Deeney objected to calling him “world class.” “Believe Mohamed Salah “It's excellent,” he explained. “He is a fundamental part of Liverpool and they should never have let (his expired contract) get to this situation.”
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“But I understand that there is a financial structure around what they want to try to maintain.
“My argument has always been that I just don't think it's world class.
“But world class is just a different opinion. What I consider world class is asking myself, 'Would I like my kids to play like that player?'
“If I asked my children, who want to be forwards, I would tell them to be careful with Vinicius Jr and Mohamed Salah.
“(Salah) scores an incredible amount of goals, he's very effective, but that's just my opinion.”
Asked if his opinion had changed in 2025, he said: “Look, I think Salah is exceptional.
“It's huge for Liverpool, I just have a different opinion on what world class is to different people. That's all.
“Once again, I worked (Liverpool's 1-0 defeat to Tottenham), does anyone say it's world class after that? No. But when he scores or assists, everyone says he is world class.
“His statistics are terrifying and phenomenal. I grew up in a generation watching Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldinho; Of these guys, only one of them could win the Ballon d'Or.
“Do you know what I mean? To me, being world class is just the highest level where you just feel alone.
“I saw Mo the other day and there's no problem.
“There's just a level of player where it's universally accepted that you're that person.”
Salah is in the final six months of his Anfield contract, meaning he could leave Liverpool without any transfer fees this June.
It remains uncertain where his future will take him, but perhaps a new challenge could change Deeney's opinion of this Liverpool legend.
