Mo Salah: Liverpool forward’s character explained after Arne Slot dispute – by Jurgen Klopp and more
When Salah first moved to England – signed by Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea after impressing for Basel in Switzerland – he struggled to impose his personality in a squad full of established stars, and lacked self-belief.
“When I first met him, he was 21 – very innocent,” says former team-mate Mark Schwarzer. “He was coming to London – a big city, different culture – and I think he was a bit timid.
“When he signed, he was coming into a changing room packed full of international stars – players that were used to winning, and a manager that was a legend of the club. For new players, it was sink or swim.
“The more he didn’t score, the more frustrated he became. There was a moment in the changing room when Jose actually kicked a table, and was directing a lot of his frustration towards Mo, and he took him off. Mo was visibly upset.
“It’s credit to him, his determination, his dedication, everything, to go on and deliver what he has done.”
Salah rebuilt his career in Italy’s Serie A – first in a loan spell with Fiorentina then at Roma, developing a reputation as an on-field leader and ultimate professional.
“He was just different,” explains BBC pundit and former England and Manchester City defender Micah Richards, who played alongside Salah at Fiorentina. “You get those characters that just do everything by the book – he was that guy.
“He would always be in bed early, always be eating healthily. He clearly thought, ‘I’m going to show everyone exactly what I can do. All those who have doubted me are going to eat their words.’ That’s exactly what he did.”
For a young African man to set standards for European colleagues to follow was a challenge in itself.
“To succeed in Europe you have to understand the culture of where you are playing, where you are living, without losing any of your principles,” says former Egypt striker Mido, who played for Tottenham, Roma and Ajax among others. “This is the balance that he has achieved.
“He has made young boys in Africa dream – ‘If someone who comes from the background as I do made it to the top, why couldn’t I make it?'”
