6 days Ago
Mohamed Salah is a global icon with an unquenchable thirst for rewriting the record books. Having ended speculation over his future by signing a new two-year contract at Liverpool , the Egypt international will set about cementing his legacy both at Anfield and further afield. Salah currently stands joint-fifth in the all-time list of Premier League goalscorers alongside former Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero on 184.
His next league goal will make him the highest-scoring overseas player in Premier League history. Over the course of this season, he has already overtaken the illustrious quartet of Jermain Defoe, Robbie Fowler, Thierry Henry and Frank Lampard in the overall rankings. Salah won’t stop there.
With seven games remaining as Liverpool close in on winning the Premier League title, he’s only three league goals behind former Manchester United striker Andrew Cole (187) in fourth place. The new contract raises the prospect of him chasing down more big names next season given he’s just 24 goals behind Wayne Rooney (208) and 29 adrift of Harry Kane (213). Given the standards that Salah has set, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that Alan Shearer’s record of 260 could come under threat before his latest deal expires in the summer of 2027.
Not bad for a wide attacker, who spends so much time out on the right flank rather than lurking in the penalty box. Salah’s consistency and durability has been astonishing. With 27 league goals in 31 matches this season, he’s on the brink of winning his fourth Premier League Golden Boot (he won it outright in 2017-18 before sharing the accolade in 2018-19 and 2021-22).
He’s also the hot favourite to be crowned PFA Player of the Year and Football Writers’ Footballer of the Year for the third time (having won them both in 2017-18 and 2021-22). Advertisement Over the years, his game has evolved with him less reliant on a blistering turn of pace. He’s so much more than just a ruthless finisher — underlined by the 17 league assists he has contributed to Liverpool’s title push.
He might fall short of eclipsing Erling Haaland’s record 36-goal haul from 2022-23, but breaking the assists record of 20, held jointly by Kevin De Bruyne (2019-20) and Henry (2002-03), is more realistic. Salah has already equalled the record for most goal involvements in a 38-game season (44) set by Henry in 2002-03 and levelled by Haaland in 2022-23, and could surpass the 47 managed by both Shearer and Cole over 42-game campaigns in the 1990s — making this the finest season by an individual player in the Premier League era. It’s some story given that this is a player who was written off as too lightweight for English football after an unhappy stint at Chelsea under Jose Mourinho.
More productive spells in Italy, first on loan at Fiorentina in the latter half of 2014-15 and then at Roma following a successful season-long loan, convinced Liverpool to agree a £43million ($56.2m at current rates) deal in sign him in the summer of 2017. Those who questioned the wisdom of that investment look as foolish now as those who dismissed him as a ‘one-season wonder’ after he scored 44 times in all competitions in 2017-18.
His achievements over the past eight seasons at Liverpool resonate so widely because of what Salah represents and where he’s from. Since 2021, he’s been the highest scoring African player in Premier League history and his grip on that record keeps getting stronger. His former Liverpool team-mate Sadio Mane is a distant second on 111 goals with ex-Chelsea striker Didier Drogba on 104.
Salah is put on a pedestal, not just in his homeland but across the Arab world, with his impact at Anfield a source of immense pride. He has inspired millions to pursue their own dreams. His Muslim faith shapes his life and he’s been praised by religious leaders for being such a positive role model and helping to change some people’s perceptions of the Islamic community.
He talks about tolerance and understanding. On Merseyside, the man serenaded by the Kop as the ‘Egyptian king’ has increasingly forced his way into conversations about the greatest players ever to represent Liverpool. With 243 goals in 394 appearances in all competitions, he recently leapfrogged Gordon Hodgson into third place in the club’s all-time list of scorers.
Advertisement Only Roger Hunt (285), a World Cup winner with England in 1966, and former Wales striker Ian Rush (346) sit above him. Neither Hunt nor Rush scored their goals at the same kind of rate as Salah. He is the only player in Liverpool’s history to score 20 or more goals in all competitions in eight consecutive seasons.
In five of the eight, he has netted 30 or more. His ‘worst’ season for the club came in 2019-20 when he scored ‘only’ 23 times in all competitions. How you measure greatness is subjective.
Longevity and glory have to be factored in. It’s difficult to compare those from different generations. Sir Kenny Dalglish and Steven Gerrard tend to dominate the eternal debate about Liverpool’s finest ever player.
But Salah’s name belongs alongside them in the top tier of Anfield legends. He’s earned that lofty status. His contribution over the course of this season made giving him a new two-year contract on similar terms a no-brainer as he approaches his 33rd birthday in June.
Trying to adequately replace him this summer would have been not only expensive but almost impossible given his output. Salah could have waved goodbye come May and left for the vast riches on offer in the Saudi Pro League. But given his competitive edge, it’s hardly a surprise he opted not to step away from the big stage.
He wants to go on competing for the biggest prizes and is excited about the club’s future under Arne Slot. He values the adulation he’s afforded at Anfield. There’s still a legacy to cement and more records to break.
Retaining his services is a huge boost for Liverpool and bad news for opponents tasked with trying to stop one of the finest talents ever to grace the Premier League. (Top photo: Carl Recine/Getty Images).
