Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips has revealed how for the first 10 minutes of his side’s clash with Liverpool at Anfield he was 'starstruck' by Mohamed Salah.
The Whites returned to the Premier League with a bang but were beaten 4-3 by the Reds in a thrilling opening day encounter at Anfield.
Salah netted a hat-trick as Jurgen Klopp’s side kicked off their campaign with a hard-fought victory.
The Reds found themselves in front three times but were pegged back by Marcelo Bielsa's side, who impressed with an attacking and disciplined display.
The Egyptian scored the first of his treble from the penalty spot before Jack Harrison restored parity on 12 minutes.
Virgil van Dijk then thumped home a header only for Patrick Bamford to take advantage of a slip by the Dutchman to level the game once again on the half-hour mark.
But Salah then fired home a spectacular strike to fire his side back ahead before the interval, but Mateusz Klich equalised for the third time just after the hour mark.
The game then looked to be drawing to a quiet conclusion but Leeds' new signing Rodrigo brought down Fabinho inside the box and Salah finished from 12-yards.
“For the first ten minutes, we were starstruck by the players we were playing against,” Phillips told GQ. “But after that, we knuckled down and tried to get a result.
“Players such as Mo Salah, Marcus Rashford – if you go and you have a good game, they recognise you.”
Leeds would go on to finish the 2020/21 season in ninth place in the Premier League table, 10 points behind the Reds, who finished third.
