WATCH | Egypt to rely on Liverpool talisman ‘King Salah’ at World Cup

Dubbed the “Egyptian King”, Mohamed Salah is undoubtedly the biggest sporting figure in his homeland, Egypt. However, for Salah to reach the zenith of his career wasn’t smooth sailing. As a teenager playing for Arab Contractors in Cairo, Salah had to take multiple buses, travelling four-and-a-half hours each way from his village in Nagrig to training.

Salah began his senior career at less-fancied Egyptian topflight side Al-Mokawloon in 2010, before leaving for Swiss Super League side FC Basel two years later. Salah would win two Swiss Super League titles with Basel, before being signed by English giants Chelsea for a reported fee of £11m (R245m) in 2014. Game-time struggles at Chelsea led to two loans to Italian sides Fiorentina and Roma, who later signed him permanently for €15m (R289m).

In the 2016/17 season, Salah played a key role in Italy’s Serie A league, helping Roma finish as runners-up to Juventus, who won the title by just two points. At the end of that season, Liverpool bought the Egyptian King for £36.9m (R823m), a club record at the time. In his first season at Anfield, he set the record for most Premier League goals scored (32) in a 38-game season.

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Salah went on to be an integral player in the club’s Champions League and Premier League title successes in the following two seasons. At Liverpool he has also won the FA Cup, EFL Cup, FA Community Shield, UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. In the 2024/25 season, he won a second league title while breaking the record for the most goal contributions in a 38-game Premier League campaign.

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