Every minute Mohamed Salah scores, a reverberation of football fans in the streets is heard. This is not Liverpool or Anfield. This is Cairo and Egypt as a whole. The scenes at Liverpool are replicated across Egypt. This is how Mo’ Salah is in his homeland.
Sunday, social media users in Egypt and many Arab countries were full of praise and pride for the Liverpool forward, Mohamed Salah after he was named the Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year 2018 in England. He became the first Egyptian footballer to win the PFA prestigious award.
He is the second African footballer to win this prestigious award, after Leicester City’s midfield, Riyad Mahrez – an Algerian, won it in 2016.
In his speech, he said that it was an honor as he was voted by players. He claimed that he didn’t get a chance at Chelsea and thus, he had to return (to EPL) to show everyone his football. He termed himself a different person, player, and man, to the one he is now as compared to the one he was at Chelsea.
Liverpool manager Klopp said that he is happy to have an opportunity to coach Salah. He joked by telling Salah “Please grab the trophy, and head back home. We are playing on Tuesday.”Mo Salah has been an inspiration and motivation to many, who have now nicknamed him, “Egyptian King.”
Salah, 25, has scored an implausible 31 goals this season, with three games still to go before the end of the season.
In Egypt and many Arab countries, his news was posted on the front pages of newspapers. The hashtag #الاسطورة_محمد_صلاح (The Legend Mohamed Salah) went viral and has been tweeted more than 25,000 times as fellow compatriots paid tribute to this cherished Liverpool player.
Everything he touches goes into the net.
Having scored 31 goals in 33 English Premium League games for Liverpool side, Salah leads the race for the coveted Golden Boot, and he’s on course to scoop another prestigious award for Premier League best scorer for 2017/2018 season.
His 31st goal against West Brom on Saturday put him on par with Alan Shearer, Luis Suarez, and Cristiano Ronaldo, who share the same goalscoring record in a single season.
The Liverpool forward beat Harry Kane, Kevin de Bruyne, David Silva, Leroy Sane, and David de Gea, in the vote by Premier League players.
