Mohamed Salah has become a sensation in the Premier League ever since he joined Liverpool in June 2017. He rose to superstardom after he helped his country Egypt to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and helped Liverpool win the UEFA Champions League in 2019.
Salah is considered by many to be an icon in football. He is Egypt’s biggest football star ever. He is also known to have a heart of gold and is involved in many philanthropic activities. He isn’t just winning trophies, but is also winning hearts with his goals and skills on the field and by helping the poor and needy off the field.
Here are some less known facts about the ideal modern day footballer and icon, Mohamed Salah:
1. Mohamed Salah’s Full Name
His actual name is longer than we know. His actual name is Mohamed Salah Hamed Mahrous Ghaly. But, he is popularly known as Mohamed Salah.
2. Salah has been playing football since he was 12
Mohamed Salah started playing football at the youth level with a local Egyptian club called Ittihad Basyoun in 2004.
He was just 12 years old then. He went on to play for another local youth team for a year before joining the youth team Al Mokawloon al Arab SC in 2006, where he made his pro debut in 2010.
3. Salah made his professional debut at the age of 18
Mohamed Salah made his professional debut for Al Mokawloon al Arab SC on 3rd May 2010, against El Mansoura.
He was 18 years old then. He used to get a few minutes in some games initially, before becoming a regular for the team.
4. Is Liverpool Salah’s first English club?
No! Before playing for Liverpool, Salah has played for Chelsea.
Though his time at the club was forgettable. He made only 13 appearances for them before being loaned to Fiorentina and Roma. Chelsea had signed him from Swiss club FC Basel after he gained a lot attention for his stunning displays for his previous employers in the UEFA Champions League. But he failed to impress then Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho and was loaned off.
Also Read – Reasons Why Mohamed Salah Failed at Chelsea
5. Salah played at left back as a young player
As a young player, Salah played as a left back for the Al Makowloon al Arab SC youth team.
So when did he start playing as a winger?
One day, after his team won 4-0 in a Egyptian youth cup game, his coach found him in tears because he had missed a lot of chances. That made him realized how much young Salah loved to score goals and hence then moved him up field as a winger.
6. The reason behind Mohamed Salah’s celebration
Salah’s celebration has become somewhat iconic in the Premier League ever since he started doing it frequently. Salah celebrates by performing a “sujud” or “sajdah”, which means bowing down to God.
Salah is a devout Muslim and has said that he celebrates in that way to thank Allah for giving him the chance to live his dream of becoming a footballer.
He told CNN in an interview, “It’s something like praying or thanking God for what I have received, but yeah, it’s just praying and praying for a win. I’ve always done that since I was young.” His celebration also features in the popular game FIFA 19.
7. Salah is a record signing for Liverpool
Liverpool signed Salah from Italian club AS Roma for an initial fee of 42 million euros which later went up to 50 million euros after add -ons.
This is the highest amount that Liverpool have paid for any forward so far, breaking the record they set when they paid 35 million euros for signing Andy Carroll from Newcastle United.
8. Salah has no tattoos on his body
Footballers have always been fascinated by tattoos. Many footballers these days have numerous tattoos on their body. Some do it as a fashion statement, some do it for expressing themselves.
But Salah isn’t a part of the tattoo bandwagon. He is one of those few famous footballers who doesn’t have a single tattoo on his body. When asked why he doesn’t have a tattoo, he said he expresses himself through football.
9. How much is Mo Salah worth?
Mohamed Salah is now one of the biggest football stars in the world. He is a very popular and recognizable public figure. This has obviously lead to him being the face of many popular brands. His net worth is estimated to be around 70 million dollars.
Which brands does Salah endorse?
Salah is one of the stars signed to Adidas, alongside others like Lionel Messi, Paul Pogba and David Beckham. He is also the face of Vodafone Egypt. He also featured on the cover of GQ Middle East.
How much does Salah earn?
Salah signed a contract extension with Liverpool in 2018 which increased his salary up to 10 million euros a year. He is Liverpool’s second highest paid player.
10. “ The Egyptian Pharaoh”
That’s the nickname of Mo Salah. Salah is nicknamed “The Egyptian Pharaoh” by the fans and the media in England. Pharaoh is an Egyptian word which means ‘king’. Since joining Liverpool, Salah has become all conquering and has managed to score against almost every opponent he has played against. He has been instrumental in Liverpool’s rise to the top under manager Jürgen Klopp.
He has another nickname which he is popularly known by: “The Egyptian Messi”. This nickname became popular when he scored a number goals in typical Lionel Messi style in 2018/2019 season. Also, he is left footed and likes to cut in from the right, a style that resembles Messi’s.
11. Salah holds a number of records
Salah has set numerous records ever since he joined Liverpool.
He holds the record of the highest number of goals scored in a 38-game season of the Premier League. He set this record when he scored 32 goals in 2017-2018 season, beating the record previously set by Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez of 31 goals.
In the same season, he equaled a record for scoring against most number of teams in a Premier League season, by scoring against 17 of the other 19 teams.
He also managed to outscore 3 other teams, West Brom (31), Swansea City (28) and Huddersfield Town (28) and became the first player ever to do so in Premier League history.
12. Which car does Salah drive?
Salah is a simple guy. But when it comes to cars, he likes fancy. Salah owns the famous Lamborghini Aventador, a Bentley Continental GT, A Mercedes AMG GLE Coupe, a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster, an Audi Q7 and a Toyota Camry.
13. Salah once helped a man who robbed his family!
Once when in Egypt, Salah and his family were robbed by a man in Cairo. The police caught and arrested the man. Salah’s father, who was angry because his family was attacked, wanted to press charges against the robber.
But after listening the robber’s story and looking at his condition, Salah did not lot let his father press charges against him and asked the police to leave him. He also gave the robber some money and helped him find a job later.
14. Salah, A king at heart too!
Salah takes part in many philanthropic activities and is a role model for Egyptian celebrities.
He is involved in a regeneration project in his hometown of Nagria. Salah has donated money for building many schools and hospitals in the area. These schools and hospitals provide education and healthcare at affordable prices.
During an economic crisis in Egypt, he provided 450 families with monthly allowances. He also helped the government by donating $300,000 from his own pocket.
Salah is also a advocate for equal rights for women in his country and believes that women should be involved in the economic and social aspects of the society.
15. Who is Salah’s Wife?
Salah is married to Magi Salah. He also has a daughter, Makka, who he named after the holy city of Mecca. His wife is a biotechnologist and takes part in a lot of philanthropic activities with him.
There are some reports that claim that they are childhood friends, while some claim they met as teenagers. They both come from the same village and went to the same school. Their wedding was a grand occasion and Salah invited his entire village to the ceremony.
