Mohamed Salah could not bring himself to walk away. Twenty minutes after the final whistle had heralded the end of his Liverpool career, the Egypt international stood before the Kop and basked in the acclaim of his supporters. Nine years, 442 appearances and 257 goals had led to this moment. His goodbye had been weeks in the making, and still he looked like a man desperate for it all not to end.
Salah was substituted in the 74th minute of Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Brentford at Anfield, receiving a standing ovation before kissing the turf.
After the match, his teammates and staff formed a guard of honor, through which the winger walked in tears.
“I cried a lot, more than I did my whole life, but it’s very tough to leave a place like this,” Salah said. “I also cried a bit in the training ground. I’m not really an emotional guy — you guys don’t see that in the media. You always see me tough, aggressive. But inside, I’m like a baby.”
Records that define a generation
