I never thought Luis Suarez would be surpassed, but Mohamed Salah has done it, writes DOMINIC KING: Of Liverpool's 'folklore seasons' he's in the top five - and could end up No 1

The folklore seasons, that’s what we will call them. The years that are recalled with ease, the points when superstars elevated themselves to realms that didn’t seem plausible.

Plenty are easily recalled. Cristiano Ronaldo (2007-08) and Eric Cantona (1993-94) for Manchester United; Eden Hazard’s tour de force for Chelsea in 2016-17. Neville Southall, with his gravity defying saves, was extraordinary for Everton in 1984-85 and what about Thierry Henry for Arsenal in 2001-02?

There are four such campaigns at Liverpool. Kenny Dalglish, in 1977-78. Having arrived for a British transfer record from Celtic, he played in each of his side’s 62 games, scored 31 times and finished it with the goal against FC Bruges that ensured Bob Paisley’s squad retained the European Cup.

Then came Ian Rush, in 1983-84. The only thing he failed to win in those 12 months was the Grand National, as 47 goals in 65 starts ensured Liverpool took the League, League Cup and European Cup; he collected both the FWA and PFA Player of the Year awards, as well as the Golden Boot.

Surely that could never be beaten? Wrong. Along came John Barnes in 1987-88, playing football like a Brazilian, his shimmies and faints, his Formula One change of gear and the ability to see the things that others could never see. He led Liverpool to the title and won both the PFA and FWA gongs.

Last, but by no means least, was Luis Suarez. A divisive character around the country, that was for sure, what he did during the 2013-14 season defied logic. There were 31 goals in 37 matches but the Uruguayan brought with him a sense that if he was on the pitch Liverpool would be unstoppable.

Mohamed Salah is on the cusp of recording the best campaign any Liverpool fan has ever seen

The Egyptian King is on a crusade to win the Premier League and is knocking down records

He may well eclipse Luis Suarez's incredible 2013-14 season, which many seasoned observers rate as the best they have seen

‘It was like he was on a crusade,’ Jordan Henderson once said. ‘The best way I can explain it is that you knew if you put the ball into a certain area for him, he would put it away. Stevie (Gerrard) told me Luis was the best striker he had played with. That kind of compliment told you everything.’

Players can’t be fooled. If they tell you something away from the cameras and the microphones, in simple conversation, you know it is the truth and every mention of Suarez back then came with either a gasp or shake of the head. Nobody could actually believe he belonged to Liverpool.

This observer saw it all unfold and, even now, the moments and performances seem otherworldly: the four howitzers against Norwich when it felt he had started his own goal of the month competition; almost breaking the post in a 5-1 lampooning of Arsenal with a volley from 30 yards.

He played teams such as Cardiff, West Brom, Tottenham, Everton, West Ham and Manchester United on his own, he wrapped defenders in knots and the biggest certainty of all was that he would do what Barnes and Rush did in scooping the FWA and PFA double.

Liverpool didn’t win anything but that never diluted Suarez’s majesty. Plenty of seasoned observers will tell you that is the best single season by a player in Anfield’s history, which says something when we see what the reference points are. It shouldn’t have been eclipsed – but then Mo Salah turned up.

When you are dealing with a club of Liverpool’s stature, you know the huge names and achievements that stand tall and proud and there was another nod to history in Manchester on Sunday when Salah went level with Gordon Hodgson, a goal machine before World War II, on 241.

Hodgson was born in South Africa and went on to be a fast-bowler for Lancashire. Like Billy Liddell, Hodgson clocked up numbers that seemed almost certain to prove beyond the modern generation. If Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler and Steven Gerrard couldn’t get near him, how could anyone else?

Yet here we are. Salah is there and he is on course to put together the ultimate body of work by a Liverpool player in a single campaign. There was potential for this to happen in 2021-22 but he was never the same on the run-in after Egypt lost two huge games against Senegal in a matter of weeks.

Kenny Dalglish had the first 'folklore season' at Liverpool in 1977-78, lifting the European Cup

Ian Rush had the next iconic season in 1983-84, scoring 47 goals and winning three trophies

John Barnes led Liverpool to the 1987-88 title and won individual accolades for a supreme year

Salah has the potential to surpass all of these legendary seasons, as well as Luis Suarez's

The forward has greats such as Alan Shearer and Andy Cole in his crosshairs as well

He has now scored and assisted in the same game on 11 occasions this Premier League season

Salah made light work of Manchester City, downing the Champions with a goal and an assist

There is no question penalty shootout defeats in the AFCON final and World Cup qualifier scarred Salah as Liverpool tried to win a quadruple but ended up with ‘only’ the League Cup and FA Cup; yes, there were important goals but he didn’t play with the same pizzazz after returning from Cameroon.

Now? Like Suarez, he is on a crusade to win the Premier League. You sometimes watch Salah in a match and wonder what effect he is having but, as he strolls with his hands tucked inside his sleeves, you know he’s like a big cat, tiptoeing through the long grass, waiting to pounce.

Sunday in Manchester marked the 11th time he has scored and assisted in a game and the numbers that are within reach are difficult to process. Put it this way, if he scores and assists against Newcastle on Wednesday, he will match Suarez’s total goal involvements of 43 from 11 years ago.

Also within reach are Alan Shearer, who was Blackburn’s force of nature in 1994-95 when he had 47 goal involvements; he shares that record with Andy Cole (1993-94) though both of them amassed their tallies in 42 game Premier League seasons.

He played things down after Pep Guardiola’s team had been dismissed, insisting he wasn’t looking to further ahead, but don’t believe a word of it. Salah knows all the numbers and exactly what is at stake and that’s why he was on an exercise bike in a swimming pool late on Sunday, recovering.

His influence on Liverpool’s squad has been huge, in terms of how he looks after himself, what he eats and what he does to keep himself in the best possible shape. But then there is the other side of this and what Liverpool have done for him.

When Salah was a team-mate of Micah Richards in Fiorentina 10 years ago, the pair used to go out for coffee in the afternoon and, during conversations, Salah would regularly make it clear that his dream was to one day play for Liverpool and be a hero at Anfield.

Not only has Salah done that – he’s on the cusp of recording the best campaign any Liverpool fan has ever seen.