Mohamed Salah had an unambiguous message for Liverpool supporters after he had committed his future to the club on Friday and stated: “I would like to say to them, I am very, very happy to be here.”
The Egyptian ensured that his eight -year -old association would continue with the Reds after the end of the current season after he put Pen on paper about a new contract.
Since he arrived at Anfield in 2017, Salah has cemented himself firmly as a real club legend, with a remarkable trek of seven major awards and 243 goals in 394 performances.
And shortly after applying his signature to the new conditions, the No.11 sat down with Liverpoolfc.com in the AXA Training Center to outline why he is pleased to continue his Liverpool story in the future.
Here is the full transcript below.
Mohamed, Congratulations – How does it feel to match this new deal with the club?
Thank you. It's great to be here for another two years. So I am happy to sign a new contract.
As you say, it extends your time with the club. In the past eight years, something has been very special and there is more now. How excited does that make you?
Of course I am very excited. We now have a great team. Before that we also had a great team. But I signed because I think we have the chance to win other trophies and enjoy my football.
Can you explain what Liverpool means to you, what you feel about Liverpool as a club?
It's great, I've had my best years here. I played eight years, hopefully it will be 10. Enjoy my life here, enjoying my football. I had the best years in my career.
It is clearly not only you who are staying here, it is also your family. What do they think about this news?
They feel at home. They were very happy, Magi and the children, they were very happy that we were staying for another two years. It feels like home, so that everyone was happy.
How did they respond when you told them?
I think Mecca was the happiest in the family, she wanted us to stay. Of course we all wanted to stay, but Makka because her friends are here and the school. It was a very good atmosphere after the moment I drew.
When you signed your last contract in 2022, you were the ninth on the list of the club of all time. You are now third when we are here today. How proud are you of that achievement?
It's great, but I'm proud when we win team trophies, because this is the most important thing. When you win something with the team and score goals and you are involved, that is what people remember. Only individual prizes without winning does not feel great.
I know you don't want to talk about individual awards and performance, but you are the top goalscorer in the Premier League. You are also great for assists. You are not only someone who scores, right?
I am just a good winger and I try to do my work. As long as we win games and are close to winning trophies, that is the most important thing.
You need four more goals to go in fourth place in the Premier League of all time leading goal list. That's not bad for a wing player …
Naturally. To be honest, it's great. But again, when you score goals and you feel that you are involved in most games and the team close to winning big trophies, that is an incredible feeling.
It was 2017 when you came here for the first time and walked into Melwood. Eight years later you are a senior player in the team and you are part of the leadership group. How much do you enjoy that responsibility and be an example for the younger players?
I enjoy being honest. I have been here since I was 24, 25, so I grew up here as a person and as a player. I am also very happy when the younger players come to me and ask me questions. I have a great relationship with everyone here. Sometimes I look at the players and I just laugh because I know that I have been in their situation earlier; Sometimes you just can't handle the pressure and just look at the situation in different ways. But if you grow up, you will see it differently. I am very happy with my roles over the years.
Is it something you are aware of when you come to work in the morning, that you are a role model for younger players?
To be honest, I don't think much about it. I know how professional I am, I always try to be here first and do my job well; Try to be professional here and also at home. But I don't think much about it [being a] role model or not. I just try to enjoy myself and I think the younger players here are very smart, they sometimes try to copy what I do and always try to be early in the gym. It works well so far.
You have signed this contract with seven games to go in the season, we are at the top of the Premier League table. How much would it mean for you to go and win that?
I think I said at the start of the season that I just want to win the Premier League more than anything. I want it so badly to be honest. The fans deserve it – the last time we have won it, we didn't celebrate it that much. Hopefully we will do it this time. There are still seven games to go, it will not be easy at all because Arsenal also catches up. We all give it all and hopefully we can eventually win.
Why is the Premier League the one you want the most?
Probably because we didn't celebrate the last time the way we wanted. I think we owe the fans. They deserve it, they deserve to enjoy it for a long time, with four in Anfield and on the street and just enjoy winning the Premier League.