Kevin Strootman has revealed Roma have ‘special tactics’ to stop Liverpool ace Mohamed Salah and that he ‘never talked’ to Manchester United.
Strootman and Salah will lock horns in Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg, barely a year after the pair were teammates at the Olimpico, while the Dutchman was extensively linked with United during the David Moyes and Louis van Gaal years.
Kevin Strootman has revealed Roma have ‘special tactics’ to stop Liverpool ace Mohamed Salah and that he ‘never talked’ to Manchester United.
Strootman and Salah will lock horns in Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg, barely a year after the pair were teammates at the Olimpico, while the Dutchman was extensively linked with United during the David Moyes and Louis van Gaal years.
“I’m not surprised at how well he’s doing but just at how easy he scores the goals and how confident he is in front of goal with the ball,” he continued to The Independent.
“Here he did a great job and did a lot of great assists and goals but he missed a lot of chances especially one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
“I am surprised by how many goals he has scored so far but not how he plays. Here he was a nightmare for opponents and in England he is doing the same.
“Now he has so much confidence and he just creates the chances himself and finds it easy in front of the goal. I think it is confidence which is the main difference.
“It did a lot when he played here but now you see if he has a chance and he misses it, the next time he knows he will score.
“He is doing amazing also with the national team, he did a great job, I think he is the king there now and they want to vote him for President and everything.
“I just hope in the two games against us he loses his confidence. We have special tactics [for Salah] but I’m not going the share it! Italian defence, that is what I’m hoping for.
“United? I never talked with anybody. No, no. There was a lot of speculation but to be honest I only spoke with Roma.
“There were some clubs who showed interest but it’s always like that. They always say they are interested but at the end they don’t do anything so it’s nothing.
“I never talked about leaving Rome. They [the media] said some club was really close to signing me and they want me really bad but I’m good here.
“There is always a surprise in the Champions League. Always. And we have surprised everybody.”