The Egyptian's emotional celebration after he scored against Galatasaray was a sign the long goodbye was already underway, writes Ryan Paton
Mohamed Salah soaks in the applause from the adoring Kop after his goal against Galatasaray
Mohamed Salah soaks in the applause from the adoring Kop after his goal against Galatasaray(Image: Offside via Getty Images)
View 2 Images
Mohamed Salah doesn’t deal in empty gestures. Across nine glorious, trophy-laden years in a Liverpool FC shirt, one thing abundantly clear to anyone who follows football is that a Salah act is loaded with meaning.
When the forward ever opens his mouth or issues a statement, headlines soon follow. Whether it's a contract dispute, rallying the team or wading in on a humanitarian crisis, Salah's words are deliberate and will always have an impact. It's for this reason why anything he does that slightly differs from the norm is subject to be overanalysed and why I suspected there was more to his celebration against Galatasaray than initially met the eye.
The goal was straight out of the Salah textbook as the ball followed the exact same trajectory and flight that so many of his previous 254 had. Drifting in from that right sided position he has made his own since 2017, Salah received Florian Wirtz's delicate lay off and bent it around into the far corner to make it 4-0.
It's a goal I've seen so many times in the past from my spot in The Kop, but the celebration was more emotional than the final goal in a comfortable rout would usually be. Although a familiar strike from the number 11, it's something he's not been able to execute as often this season and there was a palpable sense of relief in his own celebrations.
After being congratulated by his teammates, he turned to The Kop to soak in the applause from the famous stand with his arms outstretched as he has done countless times previously. What followed was something from the heart as Salah patted the Liver Bird badge on his shirt while teammate Virgil van Dijk gestured to the Anfield faithful to ramp up the noise for their Egyptian King.
As the colossus number four walked away, Salah turned around and gestured towards the badge again. It was clear this was an emotional celebration that felt like more than just a player relieved to rediscover his goal scoring touch.
The goal was a vintage Salah strike in front of The Kop
The goal was a vintage Salah strike in front of The Kop(Image: DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
View 2 Images
The number 11 was soaking in the sights and sounds of an adoring Kop as he knew his long goodbye was already underway and the number of times he will be able to do this again is quickly dwindling. After last night's exit announcement, it's surreal to think there is now only a maximum of six more times that Salah can play a home game at Anfield in a Red shirt.
And this is assuming Arne Slot's side can overcome PSG in an incredibly difficult Champions League quarter final. Salah's injury he picked up later on in the game against Galatasaray and his struggles for form this season means the goal against Galatasaray may be one to cherish for anyone in attendance.
I always look back on Steven Gerrard's goal he scored against Manchester City in 2013 with fond memories as this was the last vintage powerhouse strike the number 8 scored from outside the box for Liverpool (great free kicks followed, but not anything similar from open play). At the time, I didn't realise I wouldn't see another one of these classic goals I'd grown up with, but it's proven to be a strike that bookended a special chapter in a legendary career.
I'm hoping Salah's goal against Galatasaray isn't another in the same mould and the winger's Anfield farewell will feature more of the vintage goals that have defined his highlight reel. Of course, the grit and determination forged in those gruelling nine-hour bus journeys from Nagrig to Cairo for training as a child created an elite mentality, that means Salah will be doing all he can to add many more similar goals to ensure he goes out on a high.
The celebration against Galatasaray was a sign Salah's time in a Liverpool shirt was coming to an end, but the Egyptian will be hoping it isn't the last time he gets to bask in the adulation from The Kop after he's put the ball in the back of the net.