Sunday marks the end of a journey, and what a journey it’s been for every single Liverpool supporter, as Anfield says farewell to one of the stars over the past decade, Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian has been at the heart of truly remarkable moments, from a penalty in a Champions League final to a hat trick at Old Trafford to a goal in a title-winning match. He has effectively done it all.
He’s been apart of two magnificent teams, the first was built by Jurgen Klopp, and his signing from Roma changed the trajectory the club was on. From a team battling for Champions League qualification, to reaching the final in his first year, and the second year saw him lift the title in Madrid.
The second one was built by the German, though utilised by Arne Slot. A new-look midfield, without Jordan Henderson or James Milner, is now complemented by the expertise of Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister. The Egyptian would be the man to pave the way as they were crowned Premier League champions for the second time.
No matter who you ask, they will always comment on Salah’s desire to not only see himself become one of the best but to see the club climb the ranks of English football to get back onto their perch. Thankfully, he’s not only seen all that happen, but he’s played a gigantic part in guaranteeing that was the case.
Before one last game in a red shirt, former teammates spoke about what it was like to share a pitch with one of Liverpool’s greatest players of all time. Redmen TV sat down with Jordan Henderson and Dejan Lovren. The pair were already at the club before he moved to Merseyside in the summer of 2017.
The Croatian defender spoke about when the 33-year-old moved to Anfield that summer and what they had to do to achieve the success that they eventually did, as two moments stood out to him that showcased how he could be the man to help them successfully turn their aspirations into a reality.
He said, ” You know, the first impressions, he came quite shy. We knew he has quality, but I think nobody could find his quality to take him out and put it on the pitch.
“It was against Tottenham, it was cold, I can remember as today, and he was against three, four players and he finished it and I was like ‘oh my god’, he proved it. And then against Roma also. Man, I mean, he always he always believed he deserved to be in the top of the level.”
While Klopp’s troops didn’t go on to hoist any silverware during his first year at Anfield, it certainly made Kopites realise the team that they had in front of them, and the importance Salah could bring when he was on the pitch.
The following year, he scored a penalty in the early moments of the Champions League final against Spurs, before Divock Origi added the second late into the evening to secure their sixth European Cup. From there, they continued to win. The Super Cup, Club World Cup and Premier League came within the next year, and a League Cup and FA Cup were added to the collection in 2022.
Henderson complimented the forward for helping Liverpool become a successful side once again, with his moments being some of the most important during their quest.
He said, ” I can’t thank him enough for everything that he did for me, for the team, for the club. He basically helped us achieve our dreams, really. He gave us the X Factor, and he was the one that we relied on the most probably. So yeah, thanks, Mo.”
A similar message will echo around Anfield on Sunday, as they celebrate a boy from Nagrig, Egypt, who made Merseyside believe again. Reminding a club what it felt like to stand at the summit of English and European football. They turned moments into history, as one player’s legacy will forever live in the city of Liverpool, and that belongs to Mohamed Salah.
