Mohamed Salah: Liverpool Premier League title win is my dream
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Football Focus: Mohamed Salah joined Liverpool 'to win titles'
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah says he dreams of winning the Premier League and wants to do "something special" in this season's Champions League.
The Anfield club can go second in the league by beating West Ham on Saturday and lead Porto 5-0 after the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
Egypt international Salah has scored 22 goals in 26 league games since signing from Roma for £34m last June.
"I came to here to win titles," the 25-year-old told Football Focus.
Ex-Chelsea player Salah made three substitute appearances totalling 30 minutes when the Blues won the league in 2014-15, ending the season on loan in Italy at Fiorentina.
He spent the following season on loan at Roma before joining the Serie A side for £12m in August 2016.
Salah has made a huge impact on his return to the Premier League and hopes his efforts can propel Liverpool to a first trophy since 2012.
"I can tell the fans we work 100% to try and win something for the club," he said.
"It's a long time since the club won the league. It's my dream to win the Premier League - but I want to win it with this club."
'Much more to come from me'
As well as scoring 22 times, Salah has also provided seven assists in an outstanding start to his Liverpool career - but he reserves praise for his Anfield team-mates.
"It's easy to play with this kind of quality," he said. "If you look at me now and five years ago, everything has changed both mentally and physically.
"I'm trying to improve myself every day. I always like to put myself under pressure to improve more.
"I give all my life to football, I only think about football. This is what is on my mind all the time."
Salah's 2017-18 in the Premier League... | ...and how it compares to the best |
|---|---|
Goals: 22 | Second to Harry Kane (23) |
Total shots (including blocked): 103 | Second to Harry Kane (150) |
Shots on target: 49 | Second to Harry Kane (62) |
Two or more goals in a game: Five times | Second to Harry Kane (six) |
Minutes per goal: 92.55 | Fourth (second excluding players who have only scored once) |
Assists: Seven | Joint fifth (Kevin de Bruyne top with 14) |
Chances created: 44 | Joint 11th (Kevin de Bruyne top with 84) |
Dribbles completed: 64 | Fourth (Eden Hazard top with 115) |
Touches in opposition box: 192 | Second to Raheem Sterling (199) |
Inspiring a nation
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah wins 2017 BBC African Footballer of the Year
Salah has come a long way since making daily nine-hour round trips from his home village of Nagrig to train and play for Arab Contractors (El Mokawloon) in Cairo at the age of 14.
He travelled by bus - sometimes changing five times - and those sacrifices he made as a teenager to follow his dream of reaching the top have paid off.
This summer, Salah will feel the weight of a nation on his shoulders when Egypt take on hosts Russia, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia at the World Cup. It is a challenge he is relishing.
"I gave a lot for football because I wanted to be as professional as possible. I was travelling nine hours a day," said Salah, the 2017 BBC African Footballer of the Year.
"I want all Egyptian people to follow my way to improve themselves. We are a huge country. We have many children. I want everyone to dream and feel they can do something."
You can see the full interview on Football Focus from 12:00 GMT on Saturday.
- Published25 February 2018
