Mohamed Salah's intention when the 2023-2024 season ends is extremely clear. Just 24 hours after Liverpool finished third in the Premier League, the Egyptian international posted a message full of determination to send to fans.
We know that the new title is the most important thing and will do everything we can to win it next season. Fans deserve it and we will fight our best" - Salah wrote.
12 months later, Salah shared a photo of himself sitting at Anfield next to the Premier League trophy and a series of personal titles after the brilliant 2024-2025 season, where he scored 34 goals and had 23 assists after 52 matches in all competitions. This time, no longer needing promises or grandiose statements, titles speak for everything.
That moment fully reflected Salah's career at Liverpool, a journey that will close after the last match of this season against Brentford. From a player who was once doubted after a disappointing period at Chelsea, Salah has risen to become one of the greatest symbols in Premier League and Anfield history.
With 257 goals for Liverpool, he is currently ranked third in the club's all-time scorer list, only after Ian Rush and Roger Hunt. Salah is also the player with the most direct goals for a club in Premier League history with 283 appearances, and is also the only person to win the PFA Player of the Year award three times.
However, Salah's influence at The Kop far exceeds statistics. In nearly a decade, he has not only been Liverpool's representative face but also becomes a global icon of Egyptian football.
Salah has built a special position in the hearts of fans around the world and created a legacy that will be mentioned for many years after he left Anfield on a free transfer this summer.
Few people thought that the boy born in the small village of Nagrig in Egypt could become one of the big stars of world football. When he joined Liverpool in 2017 for a fee of £36.9 million from AS Roma, Salah was still not considered a true superstar. Memories of his faded time at Chelsea make many people doubt his ability to succeed at Anfield.
Few people know that behind that journey were years of sacrifice. When he was young, Salah had to travel for nearly nine hours a day to reach the training center of Al Mokawloon - the first professional club in his career.
The first turning point appeared in 2012 when he made a strong impression in the U23 Egypt jersey in a friendly match with Basel. The Swiss team quickly awarded him a 4-year contract.
Remo Meister, who used to work in Basel's media department, recalled that Salah at that time was a shy but always friendly and smiling guy.
He only speaks a little English, so everyone tried to help. Everyone realized it was a special talent" - Meister recounted.
Right from the first matches, Salah's explosive speed surprised Basel fans. Although still inexperienced and not too sharp in scoring, his potential is undeniable.
That potential made Chelsea decide to sign Salah in 2014 for £11 million, surpassing many big rivals, including Liverpool. However, he only started six times at Stamford Bridge before being loaned to Fiorentina in 2015.
In Italy, Salah's career began to change. He quickly made a strong impression under Vincenzo Montella, who once compared him to Lionel Messi thanks to his incredible breakthrough speed.
On the second day of the training trip, I told the president that we had just signed a top player" - Montella shared.
Salah continued to advance strongly when he joined Roma, where he became one of the most dangerous attacking players in Serie A. Coach Luciano Spalletti even once called him the best player he had ever coached.
However, when Liverpool decided to recruit Salah in 2017, this deal still faced many doubts. Many opinions said that the price of nearly 37 million pounds was too high for a player who had failed at Chelsea.
An article at the time even described Salah as "a faulty remote-controlled car, not knowing where to go but still rushing at maximum speed".
But it was at Liverpool that Salah made all doubts a mistake. John Gibbons of The Anfield Wrap admitted that he was quite cautious about this deal, but what Salah showed at Roma gave him a certain belief.
I'm not as excited as when Liverpool signed Fernando Torres. But I think, okay, we have one more quality striker, let's wait and see what he can do" - Gibbons said.
In the end, what Salah did exceeded all expectations.
