Hamdy Nouh is not surprised at the progress made by the Liverpool star and believes there is even more to come.
Mohamed Salah’s former youth coach says the Liverpool forward’s ambition and desire allied with his natural talent means he is capable of becoming one of the best players in the world.
Hamdy Nouh worked with Salah while youth coach at Egyptian side El Mokawloon SC, and he admitted Salah’s raw ability made him a stand out even as a young teenager.
After four years with the youth side Salah soon established himself in the senior team, playing for two seasons before joining Swiss side FC Basel in 2012.
“I met Salah when he was 14 years old after he came over from Tanta,” Nouh said . ”He played with me for two seasons and was the top scorer with more than 30 goals each season!
“I saw great talent and insistence on success so I always tried to help him develop on the pitch in individual training and also outside in terms of the psychological side. It helped that he was committed and had great ambition.
“He was promoted to the first team and impressed everyone from the beginning with his abilities and his speed. He moved to Basel after that and always told me when he was in Switzerland that it will not be the last step and that he wanted to play with the best clubs in the world.”
After two successful seasons at Basel, Salah joined Chelsea for £11 million ($13.8m) in January 2014.
He would struggle for regular first-team football at Stamford Bridge, though, and spent time out on loan at Fiorentina at Roma.
He would eventually make a permanent move to Giallorossi and another successful season the Italian capital prompted Liverpool to sign the 26-year-old for £38m ($46.6m) in 2017.
Salah his since plundered 60 goals in just 79 appearances for the Merseysiders, and Nouh believes some of his coaching expertise has contributed to the Egyptian’s success at Anfield.
Support InfoStride News' Credible Journalism: Only credible journalism can guarantee a fair, accountable and transparent society, including democracy and government. It involves a lot of efforts and money. We need your support. Click here to Donate