Egypt striker Mohamed Salah confirms his departure from the former English Premier League champions Liverpool, calling it an inevitable exit. The celebrated talisman explained he will not play at Anfield Stadium next season, noting that his agent could not confirm his next destination at this stage.
Regarded as the ‘Egyptian King’, Salah is seen as one of the greatest footballers the Premier League has ever seen, he has an incredible 435 appearances and 255 goals next to his name across all competitions. While the exit has already been publicised, the Nagrig-born star has a chance to wear the Reds shirt on 15 occasions more between now and the end of the current campaign.
Manager Arne Slot’s men occupy the fifth spot and still have a chance to qualify for the UEFA Champions League and FA Cup, and depending on whether they win a trophy this term, the 33-year-old Salah will depart having clinched six major trophies with the club since joining from Italian giants, AS Roma in 2017.
According to his handler, Ramy Abbas, the pacey striker’s future remains unclear at the moment. “We do not know where Mohamed will play next season. This also means that no one else knows,” he said per BBC Sport.
It is reported that the Pharaohs International, his wife, and two daughters are settled in the north-west of London, and that they admire the British way of life, suggesting he might stay in England.
Salah’s emotional message to Liverpool fans
“Hello, everyone. I never imagined how deeply this club, this city, these people would become part of my life,” Salah said in an emotional video shared on his Instagram account on Tuesday.
“’Unfortunately, the day has come. This is the first part of my farewell. I will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season. I wanted to start by saying that I never imagined how deeply this club, this city, these people would become part of my life.
“Liverpool is not just a football club. It’s a passion, it’s a history, it’s a spirit I can’t explain in words to anyone not part of this club. We celebrated victory together, we won the most important trophies, and we fought together through the hardest time in our lives.
“I don’t have enough words. The support you showed me, through the best time in my career, and the toughest time – it’s something I will never forget. I will always take it with me. Leaving is never easy. You gave me the best time of my life. I will always be one of you. Because of all of you, I will never walk alone.”
Checking out a statement from the club, “Salah expressed his wish to make this announcement to the supporters at the earliest possible opportunity to provide transparency about his future due to his respect and gratitude for them.
“With plenty still left to play for this season, Salah is firmly focused on trying to achieve the best possible finish to the campaign for Liverpool and, therefore, the time to fully celebrate his legacy and achievements will follow later in the year when he bids farewell to Anfield.”
Salah hailed as a Legend at Liverpool
Various football publications have quoted ex-EPL players and legends who have touted Salah as a player who will go down in history as one of the finest footballers to wear the Liverpool shirt.
Judging his individual accolades, the gigantic finisher has scooped a record of four Premier League Golden Boots, including the PFA Players’ Player of the Year accolades on three occasions.
Moreover, the sight of Salah finding the back of the net – then kneeling and bowing his head to the floor in an act of prostration that Muslims call Sujood – will never be forgotten around the world, especially in a red shirt.
For the EPL outfit, it is only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt who boast more goals than his 255 tally, as the duo netted more times for the club in its illustrious history.
His departure is reportedly due to his relationship with Slot, which broke down after he was benched for a Champions League game away at Eintracht Frankfurt in October, a match Liverpool won 5-1.
The Dutch manager, Slot, admitted it was a tough decision, but it didn’t sit right with the Egyptian, who believed he should be starting every Premier League and Champions League game, given what he had done for the club.
