Ex-Man United assistant crowns Mo Salah as the 'BEST player on the planet'

Carlos Quieroz may find himself with an apology to make after he overlooked 'friend' Cristiano Ronaldo to crown Mohamed Salah as the 'best player on the planet'.

Quieroz, who will manage Salah at the Africa Cup of Nations this month in his role as Egypt manager, made the admission in a pre-tournament conference this week.

The Portuguese coach and Ronaldo have enjoyed a close relationship over the years from the pair's days at Manchester United together, when Quieroz worked as assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson.

But Quieroz put sentiment to one side when he was asked about the qualities of Salah, his team's star man at AFCON.

Salah was described by his boss as a 'champion' who can inspire his team-mates to glory in Cameroon.

Asked why he has come to that conclusion, the Egypt boss said:  'Probably you agree with me that in our team we have the best player on the planet at the moment.

'If my friend Cristiano Ronaldo listens to this, he will be upset!'

Quieroz once described Ronaldo as a 'champion and a superman' and so his high praise of Salah, particularly given his loyalties to Manchester United, has caught the eye.

'Cristiano is a champion, and as a player, he is Superman,' Queiroz said back in 2008 when he was Portugal boss. 'In terms of his mental approach to the game, he is so strong and so confident.'

Salah, affectionately known as 'The Egyptian King' on Merseyside, has been in electric form for Liverpool so far this season and his exit for AFCON represents a blow to their faltering title bid.

He has netted 23 goals and added nine assists and such displays have won rave reviews from across the globe, something that has not been lost on his national team boss.

Asked if Egypt are the favourites to win the AFCON title in Cameroon given Salah's purple patch of form so far this season, Quieroz urged caution but did accept his star man's 'winning mentality' is vital.

'We are not going to AFCON to take a walk, we are going to win… and to do that we need a winning mentality,' Quieroz added.

'Salah has that and he can instill that in the team. He is the best player in the world right now, and with that comes belief and confidence.

'We are a team, not one player. We build a team. But we build it with the best player in the world included, and that brings the right mentality into the team.'

Egypt have been drawn into Group D alongside Nigeria, Sudan and Guinea-Bissau.

Quieroz's side play their first group game against Nigeria on January 11 in Garoua.