Mohamed Salah is an Egyptian football player who plies his professional trade with English Premier League giants Liverpool. Known for his speed, dribbling, and finishing, Salah is one of European football most explosive talents propelling the Merseyside club to its first league title in 30 years. It’s no coincidence that Liverpool’s resurgence has coincided with the rise of Mo Salah. Aided by a supporting cast of fellow African Sadio Mane, Virgil Van Dijk, and Roberto Firmino, Jurgen Klopp’s side have been a joy to watch.
Salah is a recipient of the 2017 African Footballer of the Year, and was listed as one of the 100 most influential people in the world (2019), among many others. In his country’s football, Mohamed holds the record of the highest scorer in the CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualification (2017) with a total number of 14 goals.
Salah Honed his Talent on the Streets of Nagrig
Like many kids his age in countries like Egypt, the streets usually is the first place contact is made with the beautiful game. As a child, he had little interest in academics and had his heart set on playing football professionally.
After coming through the youth ranks of Egyptian Premier League Club, El Mokawloon, Mohammed Salah’s dreams began to come to fulfillment in 2010 when he made his professional debut for the senior team in a 1–1 away draw against El Mansoura. Over the next two seasons, Salah would go on to appear 38 times for the Club scoring 11 times.
Salah’s Sojourn In Europe Began When He Landed A Move To Swiss Club Basel
After the cancellation of the Egyptian league, Swiss football club Basel intensified their efforts to sign Salah. After a friendly match between the Club and the Egyptian U-23 team, Salah was signed on a four-year contract starting from 15 June 2012.
For the next two seasons, Salah would go on to make 47 appearances for the club scoring 9 goals. He drew the attention of the top Clubs when he scored the goal that helped Basel make history of winning Chelsea for the second time in a home game.
Salah Joined Chelsea For a fee of £11 million
Mohamed Salah became part of the Chelsea family after the England Club publicized in 2014 that the deal with Basel to bring Salah had been wrapped. Salah joined a Chelsea team spoilt for choice in attacking positions, with established names such as Eden Hazard, Willian, Oscar, Frank Lampard, and Fernando Torres. The competition for places and the proclivity of Manager Jose Mourinho to lean on more experienced players meant Salah didn’t get enough playing time.
His involvement with the team was cut short when he was loaned to Fiorentina in 2015 in an 18-month loan deal. During his time he appeared for the club 16 times scoring six times. Though Fiorentina indicated an interest in signing him on a permanent basis, Salah opted not to stay.
In August 2015, Mohamed Salah joined Roma FC on a loan of 5 million Euros with an option to make the contract a permanent one. While at the club, Salah appeared in several competitions, wore the number 11 Jersey, and worked his way to get goals for the team which include scoring the first goal against his immediate past team, FC Fiorentina. In 2016, Salah and Roma made his deal permanent. He scored goals against Udinese, Sampdoria, Astra Giurgiu, Napoli, and many others. Over the course of two seasons, Salah appeared for the club 65 times scoring an impressive 29 goals.
On The Back Of Impressive Displays For Roma, He signed For English Club Liverpool in 2017
In 2017, Salah settled to transfer to Liverpool where he signed a contract for 50 million Euros. As in Roma, he wore the number 11 Jersey. Alongside Senegalese Sadio Mane and Brazilian Roberto Mane, Liverpool boasted one of the most lethal strike force in Europe. Jurgen Klopp had finally stumbled on an attacking recipe potent enough to lead the Anfield Club back to the pinnacle of European football.
His joining the Reds made him become the first Egyptian player of the team as well as the fastest Liverpool player to score 50 Premier League Goals in 69 games in the 2018-2019 season.
He also broke the Premier League record for a 38-game season scoring 32 goals in 36 league games. He ended the season receiving the Premier League Golden Boot and the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award. He was stretchered off on the 30th minute of Liverpool’s UEFA Champions League final clash with Real Madrid after a tackle from Sergio Ramos.
In the 2018–19 season, Salah carried on his goals scoring form and consequently lead Liverpool to continental glory. The club won the Champions League, defeating Tottenham 2–0. The following season, he led the Anfield club to end the club’s 30-year league title drought by winning the 2019–20 Premier League.
Aside from the clubs he has played for, Mohamed Salah is known for playing for his country, Egypt since 2011 where he became part of the U-20 team as well as the Olympic games in 2012, CAF African Cup of Nations, 2018 FIFA World Cup, and a host of others.
Salah is One Of The Wealthiest African Players
Salary and Endorsements
Salah earns £220,000 a week on his current Liverpool deal. With a net worth estimated to be in the region of $70 Million, He makes a fair deal from sponsorships and endorsements. His lucrative endorsements include one with Adidas which is worth around $12 million. This deal with Adidas covers his modelling and use of Adidas X18 football boots. Salah also holds endorsements with Vodafone Egypt. He earned an estimated $4.5 million from the endorsements which include his social media promotions where he has more than 30 million followers. He also has deals with Falken Tires and Uber.
Foundation and Involvements In Charity
Coming from an impoverished Egyptian town and making it big on the world stage has put Salah in the limelight. With this comes responsibility. A generous and thoughtful man, Salah is actively involved in helping more than 450 families in extreme poverty. His foundation provides them monthly allowances.
In his native Salah Nagrig, he is involved in regeneration projects to give the town a facelift. He has also donated huge sums to help build education facilities and hospitals.
Salah is Married To His Childhood Love With whom he Has Two Daughters
While back in elementary school in Egypt, Mo met his current wife Magi. They maintained their romance through the years and finally got married on December 17, 2013, in Nagrig, Egypt.
Being that both Mo and Maggi were from the same locality, the wedding event, though widely publicized in Egypt had an intimate feel to it. Most Nagrig residents felt a part of this fairytale love story. A few popular Egyptian faces such as singers Hamada Hilal, Sa’ad Al Sughayar, and Abdel Basset Hamouda graced the occasion.
Both devout Muslims, they have led very quiet lives in comparison with other footballers. They welcomed their first daughter Makka in 2014 and six years later they had their second daughter Kayan in 2020.
Media-shy and conservative, the couple have made few appearances in public. They appeared with their daughter Makka during celebrations marking Salah’s winning of the Premier League Golden Boot award, and after Liverpool won the 2019 UEFA Champions League.
Asides from her commitment to her husband’s charity projects, she has lent her voice to the call for more inclusion for women in the Arab world. The couple makes trips to their native Nagrig every Ramadan making huge donations to the community.
