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— Mohamed Salah (@MoSalah) November 10, 2020
After thirty years in the Premier League wilderness, Liverpool finally won the title in 2019/2020. Manager Jurgen Klopp built a star-studded squad, but among many shining lights, Egyptian forward Mohamad Salah stood out. Known as the Egyptian King by fans, since joining Liverpool in 2017, he has been a prolific scorer, breaking records and becoming as popular for his off-field activities as for his football. Salah is also a megastar in his home country and is deeply involved in charity work there.
Let’s take a closer look at his career and achievements.
Life before Liverpool
Mo Salah was born in 1992 in the town of Nagrig in northern Egypt. He cut his teeth playing in local youth teams before signing for Al Mokawloon, playing for the club for two seasons before moving to Basel.
During his time in Switzerland, he helped Basel to two successive Swiss Super League titles, as well as reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League in 2013. In the-semi final – against his future club Chelsea at Stamford Bridge – Salah scored, despite a 5-2 aggregate loss. His performance against the same opposition the following season was enough to pique the interest of the London club, who signed him in 2014 for £11 million.
Chelsea won the Premier League that season, but Salah was rarely used, and his spell at the club included time on loan in Serie A at Fiorentina and later Roma, where he would go next. He enjoyed success for both clubs in Italy, and he helped Roma become runners up in the league during his season there. This was enough to impress Liverpool, who signed him for £36.5 million.
Success at Liverpool
Salah has played a crucial part in Liverpool’s ascendency to Premier League champions, and his goal-scoring prowess is legendary at Anfield and beyond. Being a devout Muslim from Egypt, which links northern Africa to the Middle East, has crossover appeal for football fans and those who enjoy betting on football in the region. Fans truly got on board with the idea that, as put by ArabianBetting, nothing quite compares to the thrill of watching and betting on football matches. Having a vested interest in a match will have you on the edge of your seat throughout the 90 minutes. And so Mo Salah should be thanked.
Salah, in his three seasons at Liverpool, has netted an astonishing 108 goals, making him the Premier League’s deadliest ever striker – an accolade previously held by Thierry Henry. Something that truly makes football worth betting on.
He won the Premier League Golden Boot in the 2017-18 season, and for a time during the campaign he was the top scorer across all top five European leagues. The season ended in heartache though, with Liverpool defeated by Real Madrid 3-1 in the UEFA Champions League final – Salah was stretchered off after 30 minutes injured.
In the following season, Liverpool came so close to winning their first EPL title in 29 years, finishing runners up to Manchester City by one point. But Salah finally got his hands on a Champions League winners medal as Liverpool defeated Tottenham in the final. Salah scored a penalty in the second minute of the match.
Title winning season
The 2019-20 EPL season belonged to Liverpool, who won their first league title since 1989-90, back when it was still Division One. Salah played a crucial role in securing the title with a contribution of 19 league goals.
The season itself was disrupted by the COVID 19 pandemic, with a postponement and no supporters once the action resumed. Nonetheless, Liverpool triumphed over closest rivals Manchester City, with a huge 18 point margin.
Liverpool were unable to defend their Champions League title, losing to Atletico Madrid in the round of 16. But that couldn’t sour the sweet victory in the EPL, which sent the red side of the city into wild celebrations, with Salah hailed as one of the heroes of the hour.
Charity and popularity
Salah has been involved in a lot of regenerative work in and around his hometown Nagrig. The region reports a poverty rate of 65% and lacks infrastructure.
Salah has organized the building of schools and hospitals, and the funding of an ambulance unit. As the region is especially vulnerable to economic crises, Salah has personally donated money to be distributed amongst communities. As a result of both his football and his commitment to his home country, Salah is an immensely popular figure in Egypt, and many murals in Cairo and across the country depict him.
Mo Salah has proven to be a bona fide star, both on and off the field. Liverpool take their footballing heroes to heart, and he is just as popular on Merseyside as he is in his home country.
