Salah named BBC African Player of the Year

Mohammed Salah is the first Egyptian winner of the award since Mohamed Barakat won it in 2005 and the winger says he hopes to go down as the best player his country has ever had.

After the turn of the year in the last campaign, Salah contributed towards 19 goals (10 goals, nine assists) in Roma’s final 20 games of last season across all competitions which earned him a £37m move to Liverpool in the summer.

There were doubts about the diminutive Egyptian and whether he could cut it in the Premier League having fizzled out at Chelsea but he’s silenced all his critics in the last four months.

Just 16 games into the Premier League season, Salah leads the race for the Golden Boot with 13 goals, taking his tally to 19 in just 24 games for Liverpool, with six assists to boot.

His fine form has translated to international level where it was his last-gasp penalty against the DR Congo that booked Egypt’s place at next summer’s World Cup and he’s rightfully been named the BBC African Player of the Year.

“I have always followed my way, and I want everyone in Egypt to follow my way.”

“Since I left Egypt, in my mind, I want to be the best Egyptian ever. I work hard and try to be different from them.”

It was a one-two for Liverpool in the voting as Sadio Mane was the runner-up to Mane, while Borussia Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang completed the top three and Naby Keita, who will be joining Liverpool from Red Bull Leipzig next summer, was fifth.

2017 really has been the year of Mohamed Salah. - Read Sport