In May 2019, an injured Mohamed Salah sat up in the stands as his Liverpool football team looked to do the impossible and come back from a 3-0 first-leg loss in their Champions League semi-final against Barcelona. Under his jacket, the Egyptian forward wore a black T-shirt with the words “NEVER GIVE UP”. It was a symbol of his unerring belief that hard work and perseverance can overcome any challenge, no matter how long the odds. His team went on to win the game 4-0, and they were crowned European champions soon after. Salah’s faith was rewarded.
This week Salah announced that he is going to leave Liverpool at the end of the season after a nine-year stint that includes two Premier League titles, that European win and multiple broken records and personal accolades. The 33-year-old Egyptian has become a cultural icon, an idol for tens of millions — especially in the Arab world — and a talisman for the Premier League. Academics even credit his popularity with helping to reduce hate crimes against Muslims.
Salah’s journey to the pinnacle of global football began in the small village of Nagrig in the Nile delta. When he was about 10, local football coaches started to notice his close ball control, lethal shot and firm discipline. At 14, he started commuting by bus four or five hours each way to train with the youth team of Arab Contractors, one of Cairo’s smaller professional clubs. He broke into the first team at 16, quickly became a standout performer and caught the eye of Swiss club Basel, which signed him in the summer of 2012. Basel would win the league the following season.