Today, the name Mohamed Salah is known to millions of football fans around the world. The Egyptian striker, who plays for English club Liverpool, has become one of the brightest stars in modern football, winning the hearts of fans with his phenomenal play and incredible work ethic. However, Salah’s path to fame and recognition has not been easy, full of challenges to overcome and belief in his own strength. His story is inspiring and shows that even those from humble backgrounds can achieve footballing greatness.
Mohamed Salah was born on June 15, 1992, in the small village of Nagrig, located in Gharbiya, one of the provinces of Egypt. His family, like most of the inhabitants of this rural area, lived quite modestly. Salah's father worked as a teacher in a local school and his mother took care of the housework and the education of the children. Mohamed was the third child in the family, he has an older brother and sister.
Since childhood, Mohamed has displayed extraordinary footballing abilities. From a young age, he started playing football with other village boys on makeshift playgrounds. His natural talent and hard work were immediately noticeable. Locals recall that Mohamed spent hours honing his skills, kicking the ball around and demonstrating incredible technical skills for his age.
Mohamed Salah's football career began with local club Arab Contractor, based in his home village. He joined the club's youth team, where his exceptional qualities quickly caught the attention of the coaches. Under their guidance, Salah honed his skills, displaying phenomenal speed, technique and goal-scoring instincts.
Mohamed Salah first played for Arab Contractor's first team in 2010, at the age of just 18. His first season proved to be very successful: the young striker scored 6 goals in 19 matches in the Egyptian league. This was just the beginning of his meteoric rise.
Salah's performances in "Arab Contractor" did not go unnoticed. In 2012, at the age of 20, he received an offer from the Swiss club Basel, which decided to bet on the talented Egyptian. For the young Salah, it was an opportunity to try his hand at the European stage.
Mohamed made his debut for Basel on 23 June 2012 in a UEFA Champions League match against Molde. Despite his young age, Salah quickly adapted to his new surroundings and became a key player for the team in his first season. His game was characterised by high speed, accurate dribbling and shots on goal.
The first season in Basel was very successful for Mohamed Salah. He helped his club win the Swiss Super League title and also win the Swiss Cup. These victories were the first trophies of Salah's professional career.
The following season, 2013/14, Salah shone again, scoring 17 goals in all competitions. His performances attracted the attention of European giants and in January 2014, Mohamed joined English club Chelsea.
The move to Chelsea was a major step in Mohamed Salah's career, as he had to adapt to a higher level of the English Premier League and prove his worth at one of the strongest clubs in Europe.
Salah initially struggled. He didn't always manage to establish himself in the Chelsea first team and mostly came on as a substitute. However, the young Egyptian continued to work, honing his skills in training.
Salah scored his first goal for Chelsea on 11 March 2014 in a UEFA Champions League match against PSG. This important goal helped his team reach the quarter-finals of the tournament. Despite limited playing time, Salah managed to prove himself and gain the trust of the coach.
In the 2014/15 season, Salah played on loan for Italian side Fiorentina, where he finally got the opportunity to play regularly. His performance in Italy was impressive with 9 goals and 4 assists in 26 matches. This successful period allowed Mohamed to return to Chelsea with more confidence and the will to compete for a place in the first team.
After returning from loan, Salah decided to try his hand at another Italian club – Roma. In 2015, he was loaned to the Wolves camp.
At Roma, Mohamed Salah has revealed himself in all his glory. Under the guidance of experienced coach Luciano Spalletti, he has become a key player in the team, displaying incredible speed, dribbling and goalscoring ability. In the 2015/16 season, Salah scored 15 goals in all competitions and provided 11 assists, becoming one of Roma's best players.
Roma fans immediately fell in love with Salah for his unselfish play and ability to decide the outcome of matches. His goal against Juventus in April 2016, which helped Wolves win, is particularly memorable among fans. Mohamed became a crowd favorite and his number 14 shirt sold in high demand.
At the end of the 2015/16 season, Roma bought Salah from Chelsea for £15 million and he was now a fully-fledged player at the Roman club.
After two successful seasons at Roma, Mohamed Salah returned to England and joined Liverpool in 2017 for a then-record fee of £39 million. The move marked a turning point in the Egyptian striker's career.
In his first season at Liverpool, Salah put in some incredible performances. With 44 goals in all competitions, he became the English Premier League's top scorer and helped his team reach the UEFA Champions League final. Although Liverpool lost the decisive match against Real Madrid, Salah has already won the hearts of the Reds fans with his phenomenal performance.
The following season, 2018/19, Mohamed Salah was once again in exceptional form. He scored 27 Premier League goals and helped Liverpool win Europe's biggest trophy, the Champions League, for the first time in 14 years. The win was a real triumph for Salah, who was finally able to win his first prestigious club title.
The 2019/20 season was a special one for Liverpool and Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian striker was once again one of the team's key players, scoring 19 goals in the English league. And his club, under Jurgen Klopp, became champions of England for the first time in 30 years, interrupting Manchester City's hegemony.
In recent years, Mohamed Salah has remained Liverpool's best player and one of the top scorers in the English Premier League. His goals, assists and dedicated performances have helped the Reds win numerous trophies, including the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, the Club World Cup and the English Premier League title.
Mohamed Salah's exceptional achievements at club level have not gone unnoticed, with him regularly receiving prestigious individual awards and accolades.
In 2017 and 2018, Salah was recognized as the best player in Africa by the Konfederatsiya Futbola Afriki (CAF). These awards are a testament to his dominance on the continent.
At the international level, Mohamed Salah is a key player for the Egyptian national team. He has made over 70 appearances for the national team and scored 45 goals, making him the top scorer in Egyptian football history. Salah helped the Pharaohs qualify for the 2018 World Cup – Egypt's first since 1990.
In 2019, Salah was named the English Premier League's player of the year for the 2018/19 season. He shares the title with Sadio Mané and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. In addition, Mohamed won the Golden Boot (the English Premier League's top scorer award) in the 2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons.
Thus, Mohamed Salah has made an incredible journey from humble beginnings in his home village to becoming one of the best footballers of our time. His story is an inspiration to young players around the world, showing that hard work, talent and self-belief can lead to great achievements. Today, Salah is rightly regarded as a living Liverpool legend and an Egyptian national hero, whose name is forever etched in the annals of world football.
