Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their third goal (Reuters)
Egypt and Liverpool star Mohamed Salah says the success of the country's foreign-based players motivates Egyptian kids to have bigger dreams from their future.
“When I was young I would always watch the Premier League,” Salah was quoted as saying by the daily Express newspaper on Wednesday. “It’s the best league in the world.”
“We make it easier for the kids in Egypt to dream bigger," he added.
“They see many players play in the Premier League, seven or eight Egyptians now," the former Chelsea and Roma player Salah explained. “We make them believe in themselves.”
The 26-year-old Salah made a dazzling debut with the Premier League side last season; scoring 44 goals in all competitions as Liverpool reached the Champions League final and finished fourth in the Premier League.
He finished as the elite Premier League's top scorer with 32 goals; a record tally in a 38-game top flight campaign.
On 24 September, the former Chelsea and Roma player won the Puskas award for his amazing goal against Everton in the Premier League last season. He also finished third in FIFA’s World player of the 2018 award after a hot race alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and winner Luka Modric.
Salah's extraordinary season also saw him win the Premier League's best player award by both the Professional Footballers Association and the Football Writers Association, along with the Premier League's Golden Boot award.
Salah is currently representing Egypt in England's top flight league alongside Arsenal's midfielder Mohamed Elneny and Huddersfield's winger Ramadan Sobhi.
Also, defence duo Ahmed Hegazi and Ahmed Elmohamady both played in the Premiere League last season, but this term they are featuring in the Championship, England's second division league, with West Bromwich and Aston Villa respectively.
Salah, who scored three goals in eight Premiere league appearances so far this season, missed Egypt's 2-0 win over eSwatini in the African Cup of Nations qualifiers on Tuesday, after picking up a groin injury in the first leg on Friday. Salah scored the fourth goal in Friday's 4-1 win over eSwatini.
Egypt already booked a place in the Cameroon finals alongside group leaders Tunisia, with two matches to spare in the qualifiers.
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