Ask any Liverpool fan about Mohamed Salah’s new contract, and they will share their feelings of relief and joy at the fact that he will “run down the wing” for three more years.
After moving from Roma, an Italian club in 2017, the “Egyptian Kings” was the Premier League’s highest scorer. He then helped the club become European champions and English champions.
He’s also won a lot of plaudits for his personality and off-the-pitch conduct, which helped to change perceptions and break cultural barriers.
His charitable contributions to education, healthcare, and animal rights projects have been praised and made an ex-football communications officer remark that he had “never forgotten his roots”.
It was his act, of prostrating in prayer to achieve goals, that resonated in the larger global consciousness, even among people who don’t play football.
One Twitter user criticized the comment and called it a “disgrace”.
Dr Solava Ibrahim is an Egyptian-British lecturer on international politics at Anglia Ruskin University. She describes the dominant discourse about Muslims then as “being violent, constantly linked to terrorist attacks, or debates around women’s subjugation”.
As a Liverpool fan for many years, she recalls being astonished when Liverpool fans began singing Salah’s praises and saying that if he scores more, then I will be Muslim too.
She adds that “It was not only showing acceptance, but his position of a role model – not just for Arabs and Middle East and Africa, but also for UK youth.”
Najib Al Akimi, who is a co-ordinator for the Liverpool Arabic Centre, said that he was “thrilled” by the song. He stated that people looked at Muslims “as if they were ignorant or terrorists.”
He adds, “But by his actions he was in a position to change that.”
Since then, he has noticed that more members of the Arab community have been going to Anfield over the years. He added: “Most youth are wearing his shirt, and they’ll talk all about him, how great he is.”
Neil Atkinson, a Liverpool fan and writer for The Anfield Wrap has noticed that there is “definitely been an element of shifting” on Merseyside.
Salah says that if people believe the Muslim faith to be different, Salah’s actions can be significant.
“After he prays for the pitch, I love the way he celebrates with the crowd, and also himself, which is a good thing.”
Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool manager, has spoken previously about Salah’s religious rituals being part of match preparations.
Jordan Henderson, club captain, stated that non-alcoholic champagne is preferred by the team at trophy presentations. He added: “Within our dressing rooms there’s no such [intolerance], so why is that not the case outside?”
Atkinson believes Liverpool is “very different” to the rest of England as it’s a port city. He also believes it has the potential to be more forward-looking.
Salah is also given a hero’s welcome when he is seen out and about in Liverpool.
A young boy was famously confronted by the force of his devotion, literally when he ran into an unmanned lamppost while following Salah’s car in 2019.
Louis Fowler broke his nose, but was “made up” by the player when he turned around to check on him.
Dr Ibrahim claims that the incident shows Salah’s “human touch” and accessibility.
She says, “He is more well-known than many Nobel Prize winners, but he’s still not seen as someone high up or in the elite class. I believe that’s part why his messages get across,” she said.
Salah previously spoke out about women “deserving more than what society gives her now”. He has since appeared with Makka, his oldest daughter, in a Women’s Day promotional clip and asked Magi to accept the Golden Foot award for him last year.
Dr Ibrahim says, “You must see the message.”
“It’s more than just action and rhetoric – that’s the power. It’s subtle but it’s real.
One of the many academic studies on what is now called the “Salah Effect” revealed that several Brits shared their opinions about how he had “opened up people to thinking about Islam differently”.
Professor Grant Jarvie, co-author of the University of Edinburgh research, stated that they were surprised by the impact of Mohamed Salah’s influence. However, these types of studies usually yield a mixture of good and bad things. However, most people felt positive about Salah’s performance on and off the field.
He said that the striker has “soft power potential”, and added that “sport can help facilitate cultural relations.”
Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram described the player’s “phenomenal impact” in reducing Islamophobia in a city that has Britain’s oldest mosque as “phenomenal”. Time magazine also named Salah among the 100 most influential people worldwide in 2019.
However, it’s not all about glory and goals.
Salah caused a split in public opinion at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations when he suggested that an Egyptian team-mate who had apologised for sexual harassment should be given “second chances”.
Merseyside police had to remind him to not use a phone while driving, after he was caught using a smartphone in a car. This was followed by a swarm of fans.
Salah’s image is still very good and that gives Liverpool a boost.
The region was a major player in the British Empire, later in sport and culture. However, Salah’s international sponsors are making it a more familiar backdrop for their advertisements.
A recent Pepsi advertisement for Middle Eastern audiences shows him being chased in the commercial, echoing The Beatles’ film A Hard Day’s Night.
According to Mr Atkinson, Salah’s extension of contract allows him to flourish in “that reflected glory” of being Muslim, Arab and Egyptian. It makes Liverpool brilliant for both him and Liverpool.
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