Liverpool supporters were delighted to confirm their place in the Champions League for next season as they drew 1-1 with Brentford, though they were also left heartbroken as Mohamed Salah said his goodbyes to Anfield after a nine-year stay at the club.
Despite not getting on the scoresheet, it was a Salah-esque performance for the 33-year-old as he rolled back the years. He struck the post with an unusual free kick, and he put the ball on a plate for Curtis Jones with an outstanding travela cross to give them a 1-0 lead just before the hour mark.
The joy from the Kop was short-lived, however, as Brentford fought back almost immediately. Just six minutes later, in the 63rd minute, Kevin Schade silenced the home crowd by meeting a deflected cross with a diving header to level the score at 1-1.
As the full-time whistle blew, it brought to an end the era of the Egyptian King on Merseyside, and the star winger was left in tears at the centre circle, as he took in the love and affection from the Kopites, who celebrated with him.
Following a thunderous standing ovation and a highly emotional lap of honor, a visibly moved Salah was presented with the Sky Sports Man of the Match award. Speaking directly after stepping off the hallowed Anfield turf for the final time as a Red, the 33-year-old opened up on the overwhelming wave of emotion.
He said, “I cried a lot. More than my whole life. Very tough to leave a place like this. I’m not very emotional guy… but it’s very tricky… we did it, and we brought the club to where it belongs. A message to the players: it’s not about talent, it’s hard work and give it your all.”
While it wasn’t the send-off the Egyptian or the fans would have liked, he still had time to remember some of his best moments in a Liverpool shirt, such as last year’s Premier League title success.
His story is all about hard work, from travelling 10 hours a day to train in Cairo, to moving to Switzerland at 20 years old, and finally making a return to the Premier League after a disastrous spell at Chelsea to become one of the greatest players ever in the league’s history.
While he’s won several major honours and personal accolades, he’s always made sure that he’s done the best for the club and his supporters, and as he walks out the door, he made that point clear. “The most important thing is the fans appreciate what you’ve done.”
He wasn’t the only player to say goodbye to Merseyside this afternoon, with Andy Robertson joining him in a lap of the stadium.
The pair both joined in the same summer, and soon became some of the most important players in the squad. One of their most memorable moments together came at the famous old ground in their 2019/20 title hunt against Manchester City, as the Scotsman assisted Salah in a 3-1 victory.
The 33-year-old expressed his joy at having been a teammate of the fullbacks through their nine-year stint. “I’m really honoured to share the dressing room with Andy. He was there for the team. I’m very blessed to share the dressing room with him.”
No information has yet been released about the future for either, though they still have a lot in the tank to continue their careers elsewhere.
Salah did make it clear that a return will not be on the cards at any point after today, though he continues to hope the squad push on for success, standards him and his teammates have set at Liverpool.
“Nope. I’m not coming back. I will be emotional every time I come back. I love everything about this place, to be fair, but I would love to come back, but I hope the team stays in the position where we are fighting for everything. This is what we have done for the last 10 years.”
ReadLiverpoolFC Verdict
Anfield has found it tough to say goodbye to legends, though Salah’s departure may be the hardest of all. A man who arrived with exceptions to help them compete, and he blew them out of the water. He will leave the city, though the memories he created will stick with him and fans for as long as they possibly can, for he is truly the one and only Egyptian King.
