Mohamed Salah has revealed that four former players inspire him, with former Roma teammate Francesco Totti among them.
The Liverpool star has solidified his status as one of modern football’s greats, thanks in part to his remarkable achievements in the Premier League.
Mohamed Salah grew up in an era dominated by players whose legacies will endure, and he admired many of them.
Totti, in particular, was a major influence, and Salah was fortunate enough to play alongside the World Cup winner during the tail end of Totti’s illustrious career at Roma.
Other key figures who have inspired Salah include Zinedine Zidane and Brazilian legend Ronaldo, both of whom were retired by the time Salah began his professional journey.
Both Zidane and Ronaldo each won the Ballon d’Or during their playing days, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, whose own prolific goalscoring exploits served as a key source of motivation for the Egyptian forward.
Totti, who witnessed Salah’s rise firsthand, once praised his former teammate, saying that Salah had become “a player who can change any game at any time.”
Totti’s words rang true as Salah’s move from Roma to Liverpool in 2017 saw him reach new heights, becoming one of the most formidable players in world football.
He told Liverpool’s official YouTube channel of the all-time greats that he admires most: “I love the way Ronaldo [of Brazil] was playing and [Zinedine] Zidane and [Francesco] Totti.
“These guys, I always looked at them and they just enjoy the game.
“Cristiano was also the one when I started playing in Europe more, you see the way he dedicated everything to football is insane, the way he looks after himself.
‘You can see everything, his numbers.
“But these guys I looked at when I was young and I just wished to play one game with them, or to be like them one day. I had a good opportunity to play with Totti and I played with him for two years in Rome.
“It was an incredible time, I just loved it.
“He was incredible to be fair and his technique was insane. Very, very good person as well.”
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