Mo Salah 'Up There' with Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Says Jordan Henderson

Mohamed Salah has performed on the same level as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo this season, according to Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson. 

Henderson's comments come on the back of Salah being named the PFA Player of the Year in the Premier League on Sunday.

Per Goal's Chris Burton, he said: "Messi and Ronaldo have done it at that level for 10 years plus, but Mo is good enough to stay at this level and keep improving. Definitely this season in terms of the way he's played, the goals he's scored and the impact he's had on games, means he's up there with the best."

Henderson attended Sunday's ceremony at his team-mate's request, per James Carroll of Liverpool's official website:

While the England international is right to point out Messi and Ronaldo's longevity at the pinnacle of the game, which is what has set them apart from their peers, it's hard to argue against Salah performing at a similar level in this campaign.

The Egyptian has soared to new heights this season. Last year, in 41 matches with Roma he contributed an impressive 19 goals and 15 assists while in 46 games for Liverpool this season, he has plundered 41 goals and 13 assists.

His form has seen him rewarded with plenty of plaudits this year:

Former footballer Gary Lineker hailed him after he added to his collection on Sunday:

For comparison, Messi has 40 goals and 18 assists in all competitions this season, while Ronaldo has 42 and seven, respectively.

Salah's numbers put him alongside the pair, and his level of performance has been exceptional almost every week.

The only criticism that could perhaps be levelled at the 25-year-old is that he could have scored even more goals had he been more ruthless with the number of the chances he has missed this season, particularly in the early part of the campaign.

Liverpool's 5-0 defeat to Manchester City in September could have gone differently, for example, not only if Sadio Mane had not been sent off but also had Salah taken some gilt-edged opportunities early on.

The difficulty for Salah now will be the expectation that he maintains such a level. He's not the first player to rival Messi or Ronaldo's performances over the course of a single campaign, but their ability to reach a similar level year after year is unmatched.

Nevertheless, even if Salah is unable to reach this level again, it won't take away from what he has achieved this year.